Musings & Miscellany

Here are articles (food-adjacent and otherwise) that often go beyond the purely culinary.

Nope! We don’t need a holiday to enjoy a short stack of pancakes (or waffles), but February kicks off a multicultural, global series of them. Dig in to this sweet (and savory) treat that I wrote for Saveur.

Elections conjure up many images. Cake isn’t the first one that comes to mind. Yet Election Cakes were very much a part of the American political landscape for centuries. Moreover, the past decade or so has seen a resurgence in combining cakes and casting ballots. Enjoy this slice of American electoral life along with commentary from some notable political observers.

This musings edition takes us though the spooky season and holiday creep along with a look at Oktoberfest and beer. Musings’ fiction, nonfiction, and cookbooks provide fun with kids and food for thought. Club Foody’s Francine Lizotte’s beer battered fish is the perfect taste of autumn.

Around the turn of the nineteenth century advertisers relied on art to sell products. Trading cards packaged with cigarettesbecame a popular medium to reach the masses and sell those smokes. Wildly successful, cigarette cards not only promoted tobacco but created a cultural lens into the societies which embraced them.

A look at school lunches around the world. Disappearing mice. And America’s love of pumpkin spice. That’s right—It’s another musings news roundup! Check out the selection of great reads, cool products, and a little something for the littles in your life. Top it off with “gourd-ious” recipes from Club Foody’s Francine Lizotte.

Scratch-and-sniff stamps. A very different kind of “gas” tax. And Google does dinner. It’s all part of this musings edition along with cool products, great reads, and a delicious beef stew recipe from The Bikini Chef herself—Susan Irby!

Egg art is a spring thing! And it’s not just about Easter! While there’s controversy over which came first—the chicken or the egg—there’s no doubt the egg preceded its adornment. Moreover, it’s far from the kid stuff many associate with it today. 

That title may mirror reality in more ways than any of us want to know! Welcome to musings! This edition looks at exactly how clean that kitchen of yours is along with the unspeakable things lurking in the pantry and the fridge. There’re also some cool reads and products along with our recipe from Club Foody’s Francine Lizotte.

The origins of celebrations, holidays, and their culinary connections were at the heart of my published work “back in the day”. Here, then, a Halloween, Samhain, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), All Saints’, All Souls’ Days treat I wrote for Saveur.