Although Russian in origin, Beef Stroganoff is largely a variation on a French dish of sautéed beef and a pan sauce made with mustard as the primary flavor agent. What makes Stroganoff Russian is the pre-eminence of sour cream in the dish’s flavor profile.

In the French classic, Emincé de Boeuf à la Moutarde, the recipe calls for crème fraiche and a mid-strength prepared mustard. In Stroganoff, those ingredients are exchanged for sour cream. The result is a piquancy in the Stroganoff that is not evident in the French original.

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“Necessity is the mother of invention.”

Some of the most iconic appetizers and snacks were created out of the necessity to calm unforeseen hunger cravings when the pantry is all but depleted.

Who can forget Teressa Bellissimo who invented Buffalo (chicken) wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, one night in 1964 when her teenaged son and his band of party-reveling friends showed up at the restaurant hungry.

Mrs. Bellissimo took some chicken wings that were intended for the stock pot, deep-fried them, then coated them with a mixture of hot sauce and butter. On the side, she served celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing.

The rest is history.

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Once a year on the last Thursday in July, we celebrate the convergence of two iconic foods—hot dogs and chili—in observance of National Chili Dog Day.

While each is remarkable on its own, when brought together in a single bun with personalized condiments, chili and dogs reach euphoric new heights.

The sum is greater than its parts. It was a fusion before fusion cuisine became hip.

Like many food legends and lore, there isn’t much clarity or agreement about the origins of chili dogs. There are, however, lots of colorful claims.

But just as chili and dogs converge, the chili portion of the equation is where the paths diverge.

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Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French occupational forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

While celebrated only regionally in Mexico, this holiday is often observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture in the United States.

Why not bring the festivities into your kitchen as well with some south-of-the-border flavor? We’ve got plenty of great selections for the occasion, plus delicious video recipes and culinary DIY guides.

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One of the staples of Mexican cuisine is the slow-cooked pork dish that originated in the state of Michoacán, known as carnitas.

The traditional method of preparation calls for braising a pork shoulder in lard until tender, much in the same way the French make confit, in which duck or chicken is simmered in duck fat until tender.

The literal translation of the word carnitas is “little meats.” The preferred cut for authentic carnitas is well-marbled pork shoulder, or Boston butt, which is cut into largish chunks of about 2 inches.

Photo courtesy of Pork Checkoff. For more information about pork, visit pork.org.

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“Oh, wasn’t it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.”

When a dish inspires the lyrical connection between soothing recollections and mom making a family favorite, that’s comfort food with clout.

The focus of that ballad is colcannon, an Irish dish born of frugality from ingredients that were available even in the worst of times.

Originating from the 16^th century when potatoes were introduced to Europe from the New World, colcannon became a year-round staple of the impoverished.

Today, it is a comfort-food classic, the kind of food that takes the blues away.

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October 4th is National Taco Day. Not only that, but National Taco Day also falls on a Tuesday this year, making it a Super Taco Tuesday! How much do you know about everyone’s favorite Tuesday-night, build-your-own, family dinner dish?

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Steak au Poivre is a classic sauté dish in which primary flavor component comes from crushed peppercorns that are pressed into the surface of a cut of steak. After the steak is seared and sautéed, it is topped with a flamed cognac-cream pan sauce.

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The origins of Beer-Can Chicken are not clearly defined. But, at some point in the 1970s, drinking beer and eating barbecued chicken at college tailgate parties just wasn’t enough.

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When venerated chef, cookbook author, and TV celebrity, Julia Child, launched her groundbreaking televised cooking show “The French Chef” in 1962, she chose for her first recipe on her first show a classic peasant stew of beef, mushrooms, onions, and red wine: Boeuf Bourguignon.

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