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Recipes from the archive that share this tag, occasion, ingredient, or cultural root.
Back to recipe archiveThe Melting Pot
BBQ Chicken Pizza photo coming soon
1985-present
BBQ chicken pizza became a national restaurant-chain signature after chef Ed LaDou developed it for California Pizza Kitchen in the 1980s. It is pure late-20th-century American fusion: Italian American pizza form, California creativity, smoky-sweet barbecue sauce, and a weeknight-friendly topping lineup.
The Melting Pot
Avocado Toast photo coming soon
2010-2026
A simple avocado toast with lemon, olive oil, chile flakes, and flaky salt, framed as a California and internet-era food with much older roots.
The Melting Pot
California Cobb Salad photo coming soon
1930s-present
The Cobb salad is closely tied to the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood and Bob Cobb in the 1930s. Its rows of chopped ingredients made it a California restaurant icon: hearty enough for a meal, bright with avocado and tomato, and theatrical enough for Hollywood.
The Melting Pot
California Pizza photo coming soon
1980s-present
California pizza emerged around 1980 as chefs in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles put California cuisine toppings onto thin-crust pizza. Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, Ed LaDou, Wolfgang Puck at Spago, and later California Pizza Kitchen helped spread the style.
The Melting Pot
Cheeseburger photo coming soon
1920s-present
A classic griddled cheeseburger with American cheese, pickles, onion, ketchup, mustard, and a toasted bun.
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Acorn Bread photo coming soon
1800-1860
A nutty, lightly sweet quick bread made with properly leached acorn flour, cornmeal, and wheat flour.
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Arepas photo coming soon
1990-2009
A basic arepa recipe made with masarepa, water, salt, and a hot skillet, ready to eat plain, buttered, cheesed, or split for fillings.
The Melting Pot
Arepa Sandwiches photo coming soon
2010-2026
A street-food arepa sandwich filled with avocado chicken salad, black beans, cheese, and bright lime, built for the American food-truck table while respecting its Venezuelan and Colombian roots.
The Melting Pot
Banh Mi photo coming soon
1970s-present
A Vietnamese American banh mi sandwich with crisp baguette, mayonnaise, pate, pork or tofu, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, jalapeno, and cilantro.
The Melting Pot
Bao Buns photo coming soon
2000s-present
Soft steamed buns filled with pork belly or tofu, hoisin, cucumber, scallions, pickles, and peanuts, framed as a Taiwanese gua bao-inspired American restaurant favorite.
The Melting Pot
Birria Pizza photo coming soon
2010s-present
Birria pizza extends the quesabirria boom into food-truck and social-media territory. It takes slow-braised chile-spiced birria, the melted-cheese pull of quesabirria, and the shareable shape of pizza.
The Melting Pot
Birria Tacos photo coming soon
2010s-present
Birria tacos, especially quesabirria, moved from Tijuana into Los Angeles and then across the United States through trucks, pop-ups, Instagram, and TikTok. They turn celebratory birria into a crunchy, cheesy, dip-able street-food icon.
The Melting Pot
Carne Asada photo coming soon
1800s-present
Carne asada means grilled meat, and in northern Mexico and the American Southwest it is both a recipe and a gathering. Mexican American families, taquerias, and backyard cooks made thin grilled steak a staple for tacos, burritos, plates, and weekend cookouts.
The Melting Pot
Cheesecake Sampler photo coming soon
1970s-present
A four-flavor cheesecake sampler with one base cheesecake and sections topped with plain, strawberry, chocolate, and caramel-pecan finishes.
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Chicken Adobo photo coming soon
1900s-present
A Filipino and Filipino American staple of chicken simmered until tender in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper.
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Date Shake photo coming soon
Cross-era
The date shake is a popular drink from California's West Coast, especially the Coachella Valley, blending fresh dates with milk and ice cream to create a rich, naturally sweet milkshake. Its popularity spans decades and is a regional favorite for refreshing treats.
The Melting Pot
California Roll photo coming soon
1960s-present
The California roll helped make sushi approachable for many American diners by putting rice on the outside and using familiar cooked crab, avocado, and cucumber. Its origin is contested between Los Angeles and Vancouver claims, but its influence on American sushi is clear.
The Melting Pot
Bread Bowl Soup photo coming soon
1970s-present
Soup in a bread bowl became nationally familiar through San Francisco sourdough tourism and later cafe chains. The idea is older than the mall, but in modern American food it usually means chowder, broccoli cheddar, or another creamy soup served in an edible round loaf.
The Melting Pot
Hawaiian Huli Huli Sauce photo coming soon
Cross-era
Hawaiian Huli Huli Sauce is a barbecue sauce with real American table personality: Soy, sugar, ginger, garlic, pineapple/tropical sweetness; Hawaiian barbecue culture. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Santa Maria Salsa / Pinquito Bean Sauce photo coming soon
Cross-era
Santa Maria Salsa / Pinquito Bean Sauce is a barbecue sauce with real American table personality: Central California tri-tip tradition. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Teriyaki Burger Sauce photo coming soon
Cross-era
Teriyaki Burger Sauce is a sandwich sauce with real American table personality: Hawaiian/West Coast/Japanese-American fusion. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Boysenberry Preserves photo coming soon
Cross-era
Boysenberry Preserves is a preserve with real American table personality: California berry culture; Walter Knott helped commercialize the boysenberry at what became Knott's Berry Farm. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Olallieberry Jam photo coming soon
Cross-era
Olallieberry Jam is a preserve with real American table personality: California coastal berry preserve. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Animal-Style Spread photo coming soon
Cross-era
Animal-Style Spread is a sandwich sauce with real American table personality: California drive-in burger culture. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Green Goddess Dressing photo coming soon
Industrial America
Green Goddess Dressing is a dressing with real American table personality: Created in 1920s San Francisco at the Palace Hotel; creamy, herb-heavy, often with anchovy and tarragon. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.
The Melting Pot
Artichoke Dip photo coming soon
Cross-era
Artichoke Dip is a party dip with real American table personality: California-to-suburban-party-table classic. It brings flavor from California, Hawaii, and the West Coast to cookouts, counters, lunch plates, potlucks, and weeknight suppers.