""This is a fascinating book that not only covers the different forms and types of cooking but is also a good history book. . . . The book is full of information, has a bibliography, an extensive index, and is a fun read. At this price it is a good buy for any public library or as a gift for a cook who likes history."" - ARBA

American cuisine has absorbed the best and brightest of every culture world wide, and it all began in the early cookbooks of the eighteenth century.Martha Washington, for instance, our first First Lady, was America''s earliest celebrity chef.Her recipe collection was a beloved family heirloom, lent out to friends one receipt at a time. Others followed.In the South, Thomas Jefferson''s cousin, Mary Randolph, wrote a best selling cookbook many of whose recipes are still used today.In upstate New York, an enterprising young woman called Amelia Simmons set out the traditional American fare that gr

Americans have increasingly embraced food culture, a fact proven by the rising popularity of celebrity chefs and the prominence of television shows celebrating food themes. This fascinating overview reveals the surprising story behind the foods America loves. The Story Behind the Dish: Classic American Foods is an engaging pop culture resource which helps tell the story of American food. Each chapter is devoted to one of 48 distinctive American dishes and features the story of where the food developed, what inspired its creation, and how it has evolved. The book not only covers each food a

A stimulating collection of essays in which leading theorists of regionalism join with talented younger scholars in remapping the field. Revisionary in every sense, Breaking Boundaries asks fresh questions about traditional stalwarts, 'regionalizes' figures hitherto examined under other rubrics, and introduces readers to new authors and texts.--Carolyn L. Karcher, author of The First Woman in the Republic: A Cultural Biography of Lydia Maria Child.

Ranging from the simple to the sumptuous, here are over two hundred recipes for modern Americans inspired by dishes and beverages the authors discovered in cookbooks, family journals, and notebooks from 150 to 250 years ago. Did you know that breakfast in the eighteenth century was typically a mug of beer and some mush and molasses, invariably taken on the run? That settlers enjoyed highly spiced foods and the taste of slightly spoiled meat? Or that, at first, colonists didn't understand how to make tea and instead stewed the tea leaves in butter, threw out what liquid collected, and munched on the leaves? These peculiar facts precede tried and tested recipes, some of which include: Cold grapefruit soup Tweedy family steak and kidney pie Madras artichokes Sour rabbit and potato dumplings Apple-shrimp curry Pumpkin chiffon pie Lemon flummery And much more Each chapter of recipes is introduced with accounts of how early Americans breakfasted, dined, drank, and entertained. The illustrations of utensils, tankards, porringers, and pots used in the early days are drawn from actual objects in major private and public collections of early Americana and make Revolutionary Cooking a great resource for American history enthusiasts. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We've been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Ask children where food comes from, and they will probably answer: "the supermarket." Ask most adults, and their replies may not be much different. Where our foods are raised and what happens to them between farm and supermarket shelf have become mysteries. How did we become so disconnected from the sources of our breads, beef, cheeses, cereal, apples, and countless other foods that nourish us every day? The answer is a sensory-rich journey through the history of making dinner, as this book takes us from an eighteenth-century garden to today's sleek supermarket aisles, and eventually to farmer's markets that are now enjoying a resurgence. The author chronicles profound changes in how American cooks have considered their foods over two centuries and delivers a powerful statement: what we don't know could hurt us. As the distance between farm and table grew, we went from knowing particular places and specific stories behind our foods' origins to instead relying on advertisers' claims. The woman who raised, plucked, and cooked her own chicken knew its entire life history while today most of us have no idea whether hormones were fed to our poultry. Industrialized eating is undeniably convenient, but it has also created health and environmental problems, including food-borne pathogens, toxic pesticides, and pollution from factory farms. Though the hidden costs of modern meals can be high, it is shown that greater understanding can lead consumers to healthier and more sustainable choices. Revealing how knowledge of our food has been lost and how it might now be regained, this book will make us think differently about what we eat.