Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well
First published in 1891, Pellegrino Artusi's La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangier bene has come to be recognized as the most significant Italian cookbook of modern times. It was reprinted thirteen times and had sold more than 52,000 copies in the years before Artusi's death in 1910, with the number of recipes growing from 475 to 790. And while this figure has not changed, the book has consistently remained in print.Although Artusi was himself of the upper classes and it was doubtful he had ever touched a kitchen utensil or lit a fire under a pot, he wrote the book not for professional chefs, as was the nineteenth-century custom, but for middle-class family cooks: housewives and their domestic helpers. His tone is that of a friendly advisor - humorous and nonchalant. He indulges in witty anecdotes about many of the recipes, describing his experiences and the historical relevance of particular dishes.Artusi's masterpiece is not merely a popular cookbook; it is a landmark work in Italian culture. This English edition (first published by Marsilio Publishers in 1997) features a delightful introduction by Luigi Ballerini that traces the fascinating history of the book and explains its importance in the context of Italian history and politics. The illustrations are by the noted Italian artist Giuliano Della Casa.
The American Diner Cookbook
Come On In! Everyone Is Welcome! With a surge in fascination with Americana and a nostalgia for simpler times, a once vanishing treasure is finding its way back into the popular culture and back onto the roadsides of the country. Their names once tempted customers with a little magic to go along with a meal--the Miss Albany, the Mayfair, Webbies, the Night Owl. Now their warmth and great food draw us toward a grand dining adventure. Indeed, the American roadside diner is a place like no other, with excellent service, reasonable prices, and conversation as plentiful as the coffee. The story of the diner began more than 100 years ago when coffee and sandwiches were first served from the back of a horse-drawn lunch wagon in Providence, Rhode Island. Slowly these roadside treasures evolved into the stainless steel railroad cars that are now associated with diners. While their popularity declined in the 1960s as fast-food chains became popular, today they are gaining in-favor as more people want the personal touch present in a homey environment. The American Diner Cookbook contains more than 450 recipes for delicious foods that can be found on diner menus nationwide. Interviews with owners and others who have worked in diners and more than 100 black-and-white photographs appear throughout.
The Good Housewife's Jewel
First published in 1596. One of the earliest cookery books for the growing middle classes in Elizabethan England, contemporary with Shakespeare's Much Ado and Merry Wives. Many of the recipes are cookable today. Introduction by Maggie Black.
Food and the Rites of Passage
Baptism, Marriage, Childbirth, Death - these are the milestones of life over which the Christian church has traditionally officiated and ones invariably marked by a feast or comforting rituals founded on food and drink. Some of these habits flourished, then died away, such as the cups of wine passed around at a lying in; others have gone on to be industries in their own right, such as the wedding cake, wedding receptions and honeymoons. > The book consists of six essays by recognised food-historians, each taking in turn one of these milestones, sometimes (but not always) with a certain north-of-England and Church of England bias.>
The Simple Art of Napkin Folding
Use The Simple Art of Napkin Folding to duplicate those beautiful napkin folds you've admired at elegant restaurants and memorable events. It's easy with Linda Hetzer's detailed step-by-step directions and illustrations. Using cloth or paper napkins, create standing triangular-shaped folds (the "Tavern") for dinner parties. A few accordion pleats transforms a piece of cloth into the "Poinsettia." Need festive ideas for a children's birthday party? Make "Sailboats" or "Paper Airplanes." Graduate to more intricate designs that combine napkins with silverware, flowers, and wineglasses.Special features includeA stain removal guide for heirloom linens and synthetic fabricsEasy-to-follow instructions for making napkin ringsGraphs for embroidering initials on napkinsInstructions for stenciling your own napkinsFilled with inspired ideas, The Simple Art of Napkin Folding turns any square of fabric into a work of art.
Camper’s Guide to Outdoor Cooking
This volume provides more than 200 recipes for outdoor cooking, along with recommendations on outdoor cooking equipment and techniques.
The Wooden Spoon Book of Old Family Recipes
For people who secretly crave the satisfaction of the home-cooked meals they grew up on, Marilyn M. Moore introduces a comprehensive cookbook of delicious old family recipes that brings back meat-and-potato meals and other comfort foods to the contemporary table. The book offers over 150 proven, easy-to-use recipes and dozens of meal suggestions and is conveniently organized, in sections covering meat and fowl main dishes, vegetable side dishes, gravies, breads, and desserts. From Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding and Country-Fried Chicken with Milk Gravy to Mom's Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Buttermilk Muffins, Moore revives and demystifies the lost art of traditional American cookery, making fabulous down-home meals everyone loves.
Food of the Gods
"Deserves to be the modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens."--The Washington Post Ethnobotanist Terence Mckenna, hailed by Tom Robbins as "the most important--and most entertaining--visionary scholar in America," explores humanity's symbiotic relationship with spirits, tobacco, marijuana, opium, psilocybin, and more, from prehistoric times to today. Why, as a species, are humans so fascinated by altered states of consciousness? Can altered states reveal something to us about our origins and our place in nature? In Food of the Gods, Terence McKenna's research on man's ancient relationship with chemicals opens a doorway to the divine, and perhaps a solution for saving our troubled world. McKenna provides a revisionist look at the historical role of drugs in the East and the West, from ancient spice, sugar, and rum trades to marijuana, cocaine, synthetics, and even television--illustrating the human desire for the "food of the gods" and the powerful potential to replace abuse of illegal drugs with a shamanic understanding, insistence on community, reverence for nature, and increased self-awareness.
