Mouthing Off

Minetta Burger / © Tina Rupp

The history of the hamburger is controversial. Several people throughout history have claimed to be its inventor, including a man named  Louis Lassen. On July 28, 1900 at his restaurant Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, Lassen constructed a prototype when he sandwiched ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast for a man who asked for a meal he could eat on the go. The Original Burger on sliced bread is still served by the family-run tavern today. Today's hamburger. »

The New American Grilled Cheese // © Quentin Bacon

Equally maligned and defended, mass-produced cheese dates back to July 20, 1851, when upstate New York dairy farmer Jesse Williams founded America's first cheese factory. The flavor of cheese, revolutionized »

 

Today, fizzy, complexly-flavored and caramel-colored Coca-Cola endures as the quintessential American soft drink in more than 200 countries. While overconsumption of sugary sodas is now part of the national obesity debate, the drink was originally hailed as a curative.

The remedy. >>>

Potpie Topped with Sliced Bread; © Stephanie Foley

Sliced bread is such an American standard that it's easy to forget that the boon to quick sandwiches and buttery morning toast is a 20th century luxury. Inventor Otto Frederick Rohwedder spent more than a decade perfecting the prototype for a machine that could both slice bread and wrap it to prevent staleness. Missouri’s Chillicothe Baking Company snagged his revolutionary design, and sold the first loaf of mechanically sliced bread on July 7, 1928.

Today, packaged bread remains a go-to kitchen shortcut. F&W's Grace Parisi even uses it to replace labor-intensive pastry crust in her fast Skillet Chicken-and-Mushroom Potpie, topped with slices of buttered white bread that become beautifully browned in the oven.

Follow Jasmin on Twitter @jasminsun.

Related: F&W’s Ultimate Bread Guide
Delicious Sandwiches
Best Grilled Cheese in the U.S.

Courtesy of Pabst Brewing Company

The Week in Food looks at noteworthy food or food-related inventions, announcements and other "firsts" throughout history.

The introduction of an interstate highway system in the 1950s made cross-country delivery easier and more economical, allowing companies like breweries, which were mostly local or regional, to expand their consumer base for the first time. With greater sales potential on the horizon, Milwaukee’s Pabst Brewing Company chose to market to a national audience on June 25, 1951 via America's first color TV beer commercial.

"What'll You Have? Pabst Blue Ribbon!" >>>

© Con Poulos

The Week in Food looks at noteworthy food or food-related inventions, announcements and other "firsts" throughout history.
 
Chewy, crumbly and often crispy too, chocolate chip cookies are an obsession of first-time bakers and experts. But the perfect and seemingly obvious combination of semisweet chocolate bits and sweet, buttery dough is actually the result of a baking accident by a woman born this week, on June 17, in 1903.

The delicious accident. >>>

Crif Dogs' Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs with Avocado - © Wendell T. Webber

The Week in Food looks at noteworthy food or food-related inventions, announcements and other "firsts" throughout history.

As one of the most American of foods, the plebeian hot dog is a summer entertaining staple, both for the President and First Lady and even for British royalty: On June 11, 1939, England's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the current Queen Elizabeth’s mother) were served their first American hot dogs during a six-day visit to the United States.

The royal reaction. >>>