This timeless classic consists of a sponge cake base that is topped with ice cream, and the whole combination is then encased in lightly torched or browned meringue. There are many conflicting stories regarding its origin, but it is believed that a predecessor of baked Alaska might be omelette Norvegienne - a French invention that featured layers of cake and ice cream that were covered in meringue and then broiled.
In the US, it is accepted that baked Alaska first appeared under the name Alaska Florida at Delmonico's restaurant in New York sometime in the mid-1850s. It was an invention of pastry chef Charles Ranhofer, and it originally consisted of banana ice cream, walnut spice cake, and meringue.
MOST ICONIC Baked Alaska
Although the name suggests otherwise, Boston cream pie is not a pie, but a cake consisting of two layers of sponge cake which are filled with a rich vanilla custard, while the whole thing is finished with a chocolate glaze, or in some cases, with sprinkled confectioners' sugar.
It was named a pie because the first versions were baked in pie tins, which were more common than cake pans in the mid-19th century. The inventor of the Boston cream pie is a French chef named Sanzian, who worked in the Parker House, a hotel that claims to have served the dessert since its opening in 1856.
MOST ICONIC Boston Cream Pie
It is believed that red flannel hash is the juiciest version of this traditional American dish. It is typically made with salty and tender corned beef, boiled potatoes, cooked beets, onions, garlic, heavy cream, and butter. The name of the dish refers to the rosy red color of the beets.
The dish is traditionally made with leftovers from a hearty New England boiled dinner consisting of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and onions. In New England, most people are very particular about the dish – some claim it must be served with poached eggs on top, while others claim it's a dinner meal and must be served with coleslaw and baked beans on the side.
MOST ICONIC Red Flannel Hash
Lobster fra diavolo is an Italian-American dish, a blend of American ingredients with the Italian-style of cooking, where a lobster in a spicy red tomato sauce is paired with pasta. The origins of the dish are still debated; some claim it’s a completely American invention, while others trace it back to southern Italy.
MOST ICONIC Lobster Fra Diavolo
Ice cream sandwich is an American dessert that dates back to New York City in 1899. It was allegedly invented by an unknown pushcart vendor in the Bowery who sandwiched vanilla ice cream between two thin wafers. The treat was so popular that the vendor didn't have time to make a change, so he charged a penny per ice cream sandwich.
Nowadays, ice cream sandwiches are not made with only wafers and cookies, there are varieties which are prepared with brioche, waffles, croissants, and even churros.
MOST ICONIC Ice cream sandwich
Boiled dinners are simple dishes that have been a staple of New England's cuisine for a long time. It consists of corned beef and root vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery, turnips, and cabbage, cooked together in boiling water until tender.
From preparation to presentation, everything is as simple as it can be, and there is no gravy nor condiments to accompany the meat and vegetables. Its origins are unclear, but the existence of the dish has been noted by historians since the 1660s.
In the times before refrigeration, boiled dinner was a kind of a survival strategy, and because the cuts of meat needed to be cooked for a long time, one could do other things while the dish was cooking.