What's on the Menu? (New York Public Library)

When World War II came to the U.S., even the gourmets were hit by its widespread effects. Restaurants had to cut corners and limit the use of certain ingredients, as the O.P.A. issued ration books for restaurants and households across the country. Learn more through this exhibit from the Ames Historical Society: http://bit.ly/y51aB7 The war made itself known on menus in other ways, too. Here's a menu from the summer of 1944 that urges its patrons to "Buy War Bonds," since "Th...ey Give Their Lives: You Lend Your Money": http://bit.ly/wGK87B The Roger Smith Restaurant informs its customers that "we will not tolerate any dealings with black markets" to find scarce ingredients, and flags items that may be hard to come by with red stars: http://bit.ly/wuH0ZO And this menu for McCreery's Big Top ends with an ad for its photo studio, reminding its female clientele with husbands are at war that "Wherever he is he needs your photograph." http://bit.ly/y9RGjD

There are quite a few Swedish menus this week and one word keeps popping up, smörgåsbord. It is similar to a buffet and is popular all over Scandinavia. It originated in the 18th century homes of the upper class in Sweden. Typically, guests would be served appetizers before the meal consisting of hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, bread, and cheese. They could help themselves and eat while standing until dinner was ready. Webster’s dictionary defines smörgås as ...open sandwich and bord as table. This word is not unfamiliar to the rest of the world, especially New Yorkers. During the 1939 World's Fair in New York, Americans got their first taste for this kind of dining. Since then Smörgåsbord has become so popular it is a favored way of serving food at parties or large get-togethers. When was the last time you had a smörgåsbord?! http://bit.ly/A40OBx

Demand for frog legs skyrocketed after WWII and the United States is currently among the top importers of frogs’ legs, bringing in an average of 2,280 tons of legs per year, most of which ironically come from American bullfrogs. In 1907 it was a delicacy and you could have had your choice of them fried with tartar sauce or Newburg style at the Flatiron Restaurant and Cafe: http://bit.ly/ziE5Bk But it’s not easy being green. New studies are looking at the ecological effects of eating frog legs: http://bit.ly/owUx56

Burgers have been all over the news lately, and we're ready to dig in! Wendy's in Japan just debuted a $16 burger topped with foie gras & truffles: http://bit.ly/A2Ymji And the French burger chain Quick is launching Star Wars-inspired burgersthe Dark Vador even has a sinister black bun! http://bit.ly/woN3i3... Antidote for the less carnivorous: a safely vegetarian menu from Zen Palate, 1999. We recommend the Rice Milk Shake...it's so rich, though, you should save it for dessert! http://bit.ly/zNWMhv

Happy New Year! Ring in 2012 with this New Year's Eve menu from the Monte Carlo Hotel, 1951. You can't go wrong when the first course is a Champagne Cocktail!