Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, where it was created in 1896 by the maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky for a charity ball for the St. Mary's Hospital for Children. Later that year, Tschirky published a recipe book simply titled "The Cook Book" in which the recipe for Waldorf salad appeared, allowing everyone to bring this famed salad to their dinner tables.