Tasso
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Tasso hamTasso Ham is a specialty of Cajun cuisine. In this case, "ham" is a misnomer, since tasso is not made from the leg of a pig, but the shoulder…
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Rubber Room
A "rubber room" originally meant a room walled with rubber (where an insane person couldn't hurt himself). This meaning dates to at least the 1930s. New York Times columnist William…
Etouffee (Crawfish Étouffée)
"Étouffée" is French for "smothered." "Crawfish Étouffée" (smothered crawfish) is a popular dish in Louisiana, especially in Breaux Bridge, the "Crawfish…
Maque Chou (Maque Choux; Maquechou; Maquechoux)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Maque chouxMaque choux (pronounced: "mock shoe") is a traditional dish of southern Louisiana. It is thought to be an amalgam of Acadian French (Cajun)…
Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May)
Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May) has been described as a Mexican "Fourth of July," but it's not Mexico's Independence Day. The holiday celebrates the Battle of Puebla on May 5,…
Pistolette or Pistolet (French roll for Cajun sandwich)
A "pistolette" (the more frequent form, also spelled "pistolet") is a French roll, cited in English (in European contexts) since at least the 1850s. "Pistolettes" are…
Blintze (Blintz; Blin)
The "blintze" (or "blintz," usually plural as "blintzes," a diminutive from the Russian "blin" for pancake or crêpe) was served on the Jewish Lower East…
Sabich
Sabich came to New York City from Israel, where it is popularly served in falafel restaurants. Sabich contains such ingredients as eggplants, fried eggs, hummus, tahini, and amba sauce (an Iraqi…
Liberty City
Liberty City is the name of a fictional city in the video game Grand Theft Auto series, especially GTA IV. New York City has a Statue of Liberty; Liberty City has a Statue of Happiness. Liberty…
Panini (sandwich)
"Panini" (plural) or "panino" (singular") is Italian for "roll(s)." The sandwich included with that bread roll also began to be called a "panino" or…
Bánh Mì (Vietnamese sandwich)
Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich, served in a French baguette and often containing a pork filling. Pickled carrots, daikon, onions, cilantro, and mayonnaise are also usually included in the…
Green Falafel
Taim (222 Waverly Place) opened in 2006 serving falafel -- a red, roasted pepper falafel; a yellow, hariisa-infused falafel; and a green falafel with parsley, cilantro and mint. In the April 30,…
Yankee Stadium Big Boy (Mike’s Deli sandwich)
Mike's Deli has been an Arthur Avenue (Italian section of the Bronx) institution since 1951. The Arthur Avenue Cookbook (2004) featured a recipe of Mike Deli's "Yankee Stadium Big…
Big Scrapple (Philadelphia nickname)
"The Big Scrapple" is sometimes said to be a nickname for Philadelphia, but no one really calls it that. When a Philadelphia newspaper story involves scrapple or New York City (or both),…
Terrace Envy (Terrace Guilt)
Terraces on buildings are expensive luxuries. Do people really have "terrace envy"? (Not yet as famous a psychological term as "penis envy.") Do people who have terraces suffer…
German Belt
German immigration to Texas from the 1830s to the 1890s created a "German belt" in central Texas of German-speaking communities. It is not known who coined the term "German…
Smiley Face
Smiling faces have existed for a very long time, but who invented the "smiley"? In 1962-63, WMCA's 'Good Guys" radio station had a logo of a "smiley" -- a…
Death Belt (death penalty states of the South)
The "death belt" is a term that some have used for the Southern states (especially Texas) that have the death penalty. The term "death belt" appears to have been coined in an…
Old Sparky (electric chair)
"Old Sparky" is the name of the famous electric chair of Texas, where 361 people died by electrocution between 1924 and 1964. Before 1924, hanging was practiced in Texas; in 1964,…
Chicken Chili
In 1977, the Texas legislature made "chili" the official state dish. Chile con carne was intended; one legislator even asked other legislators if they had ever heard of "chicken…