K. Annabelle Smith

K. Annabelle Smith

 

K. Annabelle Smith is a writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico who covers a wide variety of topics for Smithsonian.com. Her work also appears in OutsideOnline.com and Esquire.com.

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How Waffle House Uses Twitter to Help Recovery Efforts

FEMA themselves admit that they look to the omnipresent chain to see where the damage is the worst

Spoonfuls of instant coffee still give some morning coffee drinkers their caffeine fix.

Is There a Future For Instant Coffee?

Ask China, they’re buying the most of it

Garlic Scape Pesto Pizza

What the Heck Do I Do With Garlic Scapes?

These flower stalks are in season and they’re delicious

Cardoons in the garden of Villa Augustus, Dordrecht.

What the Heck Do I Do With a Cardoon?

The labor-intensive crop is absolutely worth the effort

A veggie burger with a zucchini, feta, and pea patty.

The History of the Veggie Burger

Now mainstream, the hippie food changed vegetarian culture forever in 1982

Coffee with beignet's at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, LA.

The History of the Chicory Coffee Mix That New Orleans Made Its Own

It started as a cost-saving workaround but stuck around for tradition's sake

Buddha's hand sliced where all the fingers are splitting off the main fruit.

What the Heck Do I Do With a Buddha's Hand?

Yes, you can eat this thing

Pow!, the fourth Rice Krispies elf, as he appeared in a storyboard for an advertisement.

The Untold Tale of Pow!, the Fourth Rice Krispies Elf

A look into the era when the cereal mascots were more than just Snap!, Crackle! and Pop!

One of the first "sneeze guards" appeared in Johnny Garneau's American Style Smorgasbord in Monroeville 1958.

How the "Sneeze Guard" Changed Buffet Tables Forever

A germaphobe invented the protective glass barrier over your all-you-can eat meal in 1959

This Man Made the First Canned Cranberry Sauce

How Marcus Urann's idea revolutionized the cranberry industry

Franken Berry cereal was originally released in 1971 by General Mills with his monster-buddy Count Chocula.

Franken Berry, the Beloved Halloween Cereal, Was Once Medically Found to Cause Pink Poop

The red dye used in the popular breakfast cereal resulted in several cases of the benign condition

Why the Avocado Should Have Gone the Way of the Dodo

Its large pit and fleshy deliciousness are all a result of its status as an evolutionary anachronism

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Horrific Tales of Potatoes That Caused Mass Sickness and Even Death

A greened potato indicates the presence of a toxin that can cause gastrointestinal distress, induce coma or even death within 24 hours of consumption

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Top 10 Biggest Roadside Foods in America

Where is the world's biggest pistachio?

During World War II, when sugar was rationed to 8 ounces per adult per week, some vegetable alternatives were introduced. These girls don’t seem too happy about the “carrot-on-a-stick” option.

A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark

How a ruse to keep German pilots confused gave the Vitamin-A-rich vegetable too much credit

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When Lettuce Was a Sacred Sex Symbol

For nearly 3,000 years lettuce was associated with the Egyptian god of fertility, Min, for its resemblance to the phallus

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Why the Tomato Was Feared in Europe for More Than 200 Years

How the fruit got a bad rap from the beginning

“Rainbow Ice” is a top selling flavor for Dippin’ Dots.

Is Dippin’ Dots Still the “Ice Cream of the Future”?

How founder and CEO Curt Jones is trying to keep the tiny ice cream beads from becoming a thing of the past

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We Have Texas to Thank for the Biggest Big Gulp

The story behind the super sized soda cup in 7-Eleven stores and how it changed soft drinks forever.

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The History of the Frozen Banana Stand

The chocolate-covered dessert was the rock of the Bluth family empire. But where did the idea come from?

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