Food Culture in Central America by 
American Food by
This captivating and surprising tour of America's culinary canon celebrates the variety, lore, and charm of the food we love to eat. Every entry, from A to Z, delves into the history of a national classic or regional treat, accompanied by practical tips and recipes for you to prepare. These distinctly American dishes, from Blueberry Pancakes and Fortune Cookies to Pepperoni Pizza and Shrimp and Grits, have rich and complex back stories that reach well beyond the borders of the United States. This book is topical and entertaining in its exploration of US food culture, eating local and well, and bringing a sense of whimsy and not too much fuss to the table.
Food and Eating in America : A Documentary Reader by
This book guides students through a rich menu of American history through food and eating and features a wide and diverse range of primary sources covering the cultivation, preparation, marketing, and consumption of food from the time before Europeans arrived in North America to the present-day United States. It is organized around what the authors label the "Four P's"--production, politics, price, and preference--in order to show readers that food represents something more than nutrition and the daily meals that keep us alive. The documents in this book demonstrate that food we eat is a "highly condensed social fact" that both reflects and is shaped by politics, economics, culture, religion, region, race, class, and gender. Food and Eating in America covers more than 500 years of American food and eating history.
Gifts of the Gods: A History of Food in Greece by
This book takes us into and beyond the taverna in our minds to offer us a unique and comprehensive history of the foods of Greece. Greek food is brimming with thousands of years of history, lore, and culture. The country has one of the most varied landscapes of Europe, where steep mountains, low-lying plains, rocky islands, and crystal-blue seas jostle one another and produce food and wine of immense quality and distinctive taste. The book discusses how the land was settled, what was grown in different regions, and how certain fruits, herbs, and vegetables became a part of local cuisines. Moving through history--from classical to modern, the book explores the country's regional food identities as well as the export of Greek food to communities all over the world. The book culminates with a look at one of the most distinctive features of Greece's food tradition--the country's world renown hospitality. Illustrated throughout and featuring traditional recipes that blend historical and modern flavors, this book is a mouth-watering account of a rich and ancient cuisine.
Savoir-Faire: A History of Food in France by
This book is a comprehensive account of France's rich culinary history, which is not only full of tales of haute cuisine but seasoned with myths and stories from a wide variety of times and places--from snail hunting in Burgundy to female chefs in Lyon, and from cheese appreciation in Roman Gaul to bread debates from the Middle Ages to the present. It examines the use of less familiar ingredients such as chestnuts, couscous, and oysters, explores French food in literature and film; reveals the influence of France's overseas territories on the shape of French cuisine today; and includes historical recipes for readers to try at home.
Tortillas, Tiswin, and T-Bones: A Food History of the Southwest by
The author explores the many ethnic and cultural traditions that have contributed to the food of the Southwest. He traces the origins of the cuisine to the arrival of humans in the Americas, the work of the earliest farmers of Mesoamerica, and the most ancient trade networks joining peoples of the coast, plains, and mountains. From the ancient chili pepper and agave to the comparatively recent fare of sushi and Frito pie, this complex culinary journey involves many players over space and time.
What's Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients by
The author tells the story of his upbringing, professional education, and evolution as a chef and restaurant owner through its components--everything from the importance of your relationship with your refrigerator repairman and an account of how a burger killed his restaurant, to his belief in peppers as a perfect food, one that is adaptable to a wide range of cultural tastes and geographic conditions and reminds us to be glad we are alive. Along with these personal stories from a life in restaurants, Hoffman braids in passionately curious explorations into the cultural, historical, and botanical backstories of the foods we eat.
