About Gary Allen
Our food history editor, Gary Allen, teaches food writing and various food and culture courses at Empire State College, has been vice-president, newsletter editor and webmaster for the Association for the Study of Food and Society. His books include The Resource Guide for Food Writers, The Herbalist in the Kitchen, The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries and the anthology Human Cuisine.
His latest book, Herbs: A Global History, a volume in The Edible Series of Reaktion Press, will be published in May 2012. He’s currently at work on another book for the same series—on sausage. Visit him at his website, On the Table, and blog, Just Served.
Burrata di Andria Cheese
Sep 22, 2010 by Gary Allen
All hail the queen! Of Italian cheese, that is: Burrata di Andria. A kind of cream-filled mozzarella, it rules a plate like no other cheese. Gary Allen explains.
The History of Chicken Fingers
Sep 07, 2010 by Gary Allen
Chicken fingers—that favorite meal of kids—have an interesting history, filled with thrift and greed. Who knew a kids’ snack could be so profitable?
U.S. Helps in Locating U.K. WWII Celebration Cake
May 31, 2010 by Gary Allen
Victory cakes, also known as celebration cakes, were popular after World War II and were centerpieces of U.S. and U.K. parties. Gary Allen reports.
The Green Fairy Flies High
Apr 12, 2010 by Gary Allen
Absinthe, also known as the green fairy due to its hallucinogenic properties, is basking in the glow of a revival of interest among discerning drinkers.
A Woolf at the Table
Mar 21, 2010 by Gary Allen
Food history editor Gary Allen delves into the culinary world of Virginia Woolf, the Bloomsbury set, and foods of the Edwardian era.
Going Bananas for Beefsteak Stanley
Mar 09, 2010 by Gary Allen
Gary Allen dissects the classic dishes Salisbury Steak and Beeksteak Stanley and finds what may have been the 20th century’s original low-carb diet.
The Naked Truth about Aphrodisiacs
Feb 08, 2010 by Gary Allen
For Valentine’s Day, food history editor Gary Allen takes a look at comestible aphrodisiacs and unravels their magic, myth, and mayhem.
A Jolly Olde Christmas Redux
Dec 06, 2009 by Gary Allen
Food history editor Gary Allen looks at the food traditions of the merriest of holidays and finds interesting ties to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Manchup: Cape Verde’s National Dish is a Savory Mix
Sep 14, 2009 by Gary Allen
Food history editor, Gay Allen, discovers the root of manchup, Cape Verde’s beloved dish. Manchup is a rustic dish filled with meats, beans, and grains.
No Country for New Turkeys
Nov 22, 2008 by Gary Allen
Although food-crazed bloggers and over-ambitious chefs have turned out every conceivable variation of turkey, on Thanksgiving the familiar is what we want. Food history editor Gary Allen explains.
High School Chemistry Pays Off…in Ice Cream
Sep 04, 2008 by Gary Allen
Food history editor Gary Allen, who has a bent for all things food science, delves into the mystery of a batch of ghastly blue-grey blackberry ice cream.
Crazy for Salt Cod
Jun 30, 2008 by Gary Allen
Our food history editor, and sometime science guy, Gary Allen, helps a reader understand how to keep and care for salt cod.
Readings: “Bananas” and “Fat Lady Burritos”
Jan 18, 2007 by Gary Allen
Gary Allen reads his essays about the pleasures of eating bananas while on vacation and the unusually delicious burritos of a rotund, not-exactly-clean cook.
Seeing Red Over the Origins of Red Velvet Cake
Oct 17, 2006 by Gary Allen
A frustrating search for the origins of Red Velvet Cake leads a stymied reader to our food history editor, Gary Allen.
A Hunt for the Classic Icebox Cake Leaves a Cold Trail
Sep 15, 2006 by Gary Allen
Food history editor Gary Allen tracks down the classic icebox cake. The recipe for the original icebox cake is on the Nabisco chocolate wafer box.
The Search for Silky Sorbet Doesn’t Go Smoothly
Aug 30, 2006 by Gary Allen
Grainy chocolate sorbet was one readers problem, so Gary Allen put on his food science hat and found out the the solution: chocolate syrup.
Conundrum Over Raw Cream
Aug 10, 2006 by Gary Allen
Gary Allen, Leite’s Culinaria’s food history editor (and all-around answer guy), takes on questions about butter and raw cream.
Pacific Rim in the Center of the Plate
Jul 06, 2006 by Gary Allen
Gary Allen, our food history editor, answers a reader’s question about the origins of Pacific Rim cuisine and related culinary trends.
Dipping into the History of a Super Bowl Favorite
Feb 23, 2006 by Gary Allen
Chips and dip are a natural match–and a natural accompaniment to the big game. But has that always been so? Food history editor Gary Allen checks it out.
New York Cheesecake Stands Alone
Jul 06, 2005 by Gary Allen
Food history editor Gary Allen takes on the task of defending the superiority of his native New York cheesecake and finds it’s a cheesecake that stands alone.
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