Have a can of black beans in your pantry? You’re ready to make one heck of a veggie burger! But first, here’s a little history on canned beans. The process of getting beans from the plant to the can is a marvel of culinary engineering. First, bean plants are cut down and left to dry…

Have you ever noticed that chicken tenders are sometimes called chicken fingers? What the heck?! Some people say they got their name because when they are all fried up, you can eat them with your fingers (rather than using a knife and fork). No matter where their name came from, you can assure the kids…

You know peanut butter, but have you tried tahini? While peanut butter is made by grinding up peanuts, tahini is a paste made by grinding up toasted sesame seeds and is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine (think hummus). Just be sure to stir it up before measuring for this dish. “I thought it…

Did you know that when chocolate first came to the United States, it was more common to drink it than to eat it? In the 18th century, New Yorkers were known to grate chocolate into hot water and enjoy it as a beverage, often in the morning. That chocolaty breakfast drink (yum!) evolved into the…

Pizza bianca (which means “white pizza” in Italian) is a popular snack sold at bakeries in Rome. This type of pizza might seem a little strange at first, because it isn’t topped with any tomato sauce or cheese, but trust us, it’s delicious! Traditionally, pizza bianca is baked directly on the “floor” (or the stone bottom)…