Melt (Tuna Melt; Patty Melt; Fatty Melt)
A "melt" sandwich is a sandwich that contains melted cheese over its main ingredient. Popular "melts" include the "patty melt" (cited in print from at least 1956 and…
Marguery Sauce (Filet of Sole Marguery)
"Sole Marguery" (or "filet of sole Marguery") was the special dish at Marguery's Paris restaurant in the late 1800s. The Marguery sauce was so prized that "Diamond…
Trail Mix
"Trail mix," cited in print from about 1976, is also called "gorp" (cited in print from 1962) and "birdseed" (cited from 1971). A high energy "mix" of…
Gorp (Granola, Oats, Raisins, Peanuts; Good Old Raisins and Peanuts)
"Gorp" is a simple, high-energy snack mix, usually consisting of nuts and raisins, with chocolate, granola, seeds and other ingredients often added. Other names for gorp include…
Birdseed or Bird Seed (children’s trail mix)
Birdseed (also written as "bird seed") is a mixture of seeds used to feed birds. By World War I, "birdseed" was used as slang (especially military canteen slang) for cereal that…
Shrimp Cocktail or Prawn Cocktail (Shrimp Cocktail Sauce)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Prawn cocktailPrawn cocktail or shrimp cocktail is a seafood dish, which is usually served as a starter. It consists of cooked, peeled, chilled shrimp or…
Teriyaki (Teriyaki sauce)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TeriyakiTeriyaki (kanji: 照り焼き; hiragana: てりやき) is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet…
Naked Sushi or Body Sushi (sushi served on a naked person “platter”)
"Naked sushi" (or "body sushi") is the practice of serving sushi on the body of a naked woman or naked man. "Nyotaimori" is Japanese for the "female body…
Sukiyaki
Japanese "sukiyaki" (also spelled "suki-yaki" in the early 1900s) is cited in English from at least 1911. Sukiyaki quickly became Japan's most famous international dish and…
Clambake (Clam Bake)
The clambake (originally "clam bake" and "clam-bake") is a New England institution for baking clams and, quite often, giving political speeches. Corn, potatoes, onions and…
Seafood Diet (“Whenever I see food, I eat it”—Tommy Lasorda?)
"I'm on a seafood diet. Whenever I see food I eat it." Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers player and manager Tommy Lasorda has used this quip -- a play on the words "seafood" and…
Seafood
"Sea food" is a common term today, but it wasn't used in the 1700s. "Sea food," if used at that time, had the meaning of the food that sailors ate aboard ship, such as salt…
Croque Monsieur (Croque Madame)
The Croque Monsieur (also "Croque-Monsieur" or "croque-monsieur," French for the words "bite"/"crunch" and "Mister") has roots and similarites to…
Oyster Stew (Christmas Eve Oyster Stew)
Oyster stew is cited in print from at least 1843. Oysters are traditionally served in the "R" months when the weather gets cold (that is, not May, June, July, or August, all months…
Ants on a Log (Bugs on a Log)
"Ants on a log" (sometimes called "bugs on a log") is a children's snack that dates to at least 1959. The most common recipe is for a celery stalk (the "log")…
Monte Cristo (sandwich)
The Count of Monte Cristo is a famous adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas. Hollywood filmed it many times; on stage, playwright Eugene O'Neill's father, James O'Neill, made the role…
Stoup (stew + soup)
A "stoup" (stew + soup) is thinner than a stew, but thicker than a soup. Television food cook Rachael Ray has popularized the word "stoup," and a trademark was filed in 2007.…
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
"EVOO" (pronounced as individual letters) stands for "extra virgin olive oil." Olive oil has several grades, established by an international food organization; "extra…
Vodka Sauce (Penne alla Vodka; Rigatoni alla Vodka)
Vodka sauce began being served with pasta (such as "penne all vodka" or "rigatoni alla vodka") at New York-area restaurants in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The alcoholic…
Oyster Bar
The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant (at Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street) opened in 1913 and is one of the world's most famous oyster bars. Before this establishment, the Grand…