Cooking History Books

The Whiskeys of Ireland describes the history and background of Irish Whiskey, the Irish Whiskey industry, and the important people associated with Irish Whiskey. It is a fascinating read, just right for relaxing and perusing with a Glencairn whisky glass in hand (or within reach). The book also includes reviews of Irish whiskies which could be used as a guide for making purchases. My opinion did not always agree with the author. I say try them all, pick your own favorites, and see if you agree with the author. You enjoy the whiskey; you'll enjoy the book.

Compiled, edited, and designed by cookbook author S.G.B. Tennant, Jr., Wild At The Table: 275 Years Of North American Fish & Game Recipes is more than just another compilation of recipes. It presents the American culinary history of preparing wild game and fish from colonial times to the modern day against a background of stories, sidebars, graphics, cooking customs, traditions, and cuisines. From Barbequed Pheasant Halves; Yuletide Roast Goose; Salt Mountain Moose Roast; Butterflied Squirrel; Batter-Fried Bluegills; and George Washington's Black Sea Bass Roast; to Stuffed Colossal Tiger Prawns; Spiny Lobster Newburg; Terrine of Boar and Venison; Crab Alfredo with Pasta and Black Pepper, Wild At The Table dishes covers all manner of game and fish. Offering information on "Resources and Suppliers" and a not-to-be missed is the unusual chapter for the novice on "Hazards of the Wild Kingdom: Cockleburrs in the Wild Salad". Wild At The Table is a welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

This books covers, in exquisite detail, the ins and outs of identifying, gathering and preparing wild fruits and grasses found on the plains. The authors also include wonderful, hard to find recipes, such as wild plum jelly.

Celebrating the pleasures of cooking travels along 40 years of eating styles, cooking changes, and cultural changes. Reading the pages will make you remember times and foods long forgotten, but much enjoyed. Recipes are clear, easy to follow, and entertaining. It's nice reading, even if you don't want to cook.

I loved this book. As a recent graduate of a culinary school and a mid-life career changer, this book gave me much insight into the culinary field. I loved all of the personal stories in the book and I enjoyed the historical footnotes

Slow Food Editore of Italy produced this book. They chose the word "presidia" to describe their various projects because "Presidia in Latin means 'garrison' or 'fort,' and the Presidia are just that: a safe haven for great foods that protects them against the tide of globalized food production." (p. 8)

I had never heard of the Slow Food project until I picked up this book. Their motto is "good, clean, and fair food." They want to "sustain, promote, and raise the profile" of artisan foods, some of which might be said to be on something like the endangered food list. What they have done so beautifully in this book is to demonstrate 65 of their projects in 30 countries.

Two to four pages are devoted to each food. The foods range from Andasibe red rice in Madagascar, to Andean potatoes in Peru, to Gascony Black pigs in France, to Irish raw cow milk cheese in Ireland, to Cape May salt oysters in the United States, to Mangalica sausage in Hungary, to Chinantla vanilla in Mexico, to even some Mavrotragano wine from Greece. Food categories include cheeses, fruits and nuts, legumes, tubers and vegetables, cereals, animal breeds, oils, crustaceans, fish and mollusks, cured meats, cacao, coffee and spices, wines and fermented beverages.

Each focus contains some text describing the food and its history and tradition, how it's made and how the people who produce the food live and what their challenges are. Accompanying the text are beautiful color photos of the products and the people who produce them. There are photos of the landscape, the plants, the animals grazing, and the people in traditional dress as well as shots from the various market places. Sometimes the village homes are shown and sometimes there are photos of the various stages of the artisan food production including storage places.

In an age in which so many of our foods have lost their taste due to the mass production of varieties with the longest shelf life, it is a pleasure to see this sort of project at work. During my lifetime I have seen the shrinkage of available food types because the small, artisan farmer has been forced out of business by Big Agriculture through its control of the marketplace. Today most tomatoes for sale in supermarkets have been selected and cultivated for long shelf life so they are almost tasteless. And what ever happened to tender, first of the year, sweet yellow corn? Now most supermarket corn is white, too sweet and bland tasting.

Some foods featured that you may not have heard of and almost certainly haven't tasted are Puren white strawberries from Chile, the thirst quenching umbu fruit from Brazil, the melon flavored Yacon root from Argentina, Tibetan Plateau Yak cheese from China, and roasted guarana seeds from Brazil. I was fascinated to learn how vanilla is grown and processed differently in such places as Madagascar and Mexico, and of the differing traditions of cacao growth and processing in Ecuador compared to how its done across the Atlantic in the Sao Tome and Principe.

This book has inspired me to try a larger variety of foods and to think about going on a gastronomic travel adventure to some of the places described. One word of warning: do not read this book on an empty stomach. Your mouth may start watering.

I have not actually had a chance to read this book, but my favorite teacher wrote it. She showed it to me and it is REALLY NEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even know some of the kids from my brother's band concert!!! The kids wrote letters to their favorite authors and the authors wrote back with a recipe and a letter! It is a really interesting piece of literature!!!

I am a retired Food Service Director, CDM,my staff and I have worn out several copies. This book provides more quality and variety of the more than 500 plus cookbooks that I own. It has been used in instititutional cooking and is wonderful I am greatful that I purchased one of the first printing, and the fourth printing and they are wonderful.Thanks to all that had a hand in providing this outstanding cookbook. Anyone that enjoys cooking should own this book, It is a treasure and makes wonderful gifts.

The Young Chef's Mexican Cookbook series is an excellent set of four, 40 page, illustrated, easy-to-prepare recipes with step-by-step instructions, intended for young cooks ages 7-12 with eighth grade reading skills. With plenty of full color photographs, kitchen safety instructions, and a special section featuring the costumes, food, and fun of the Day of the Dead festival, The Young Chef's Mexican Cookbook is a superb treat to cook and eat from. Also very highly recommended for any budding young chef are the companion books in the Crabtree Publishing Company's outstanding "Young Chef" series for kids: The Young Chef's Italian Cookbook (0778702936), The Young Chef's Chinese Cookbook (0778702944), and The Young Chef's French Cookbook (0778702960).

Front cover shows a Chateau Yquem 1975 bottle. Layout is so great you know you are going to enter a whole world in itself when reading this book. Pictures are beautiful even if they should not be considered as the best part of this book. Topic itself is so important that you would expect nobody else than Olnney to master it. He does it with dexterity. This book was written long before the internal war between owners of the castle. Lur Saluces family suffered during the selling process of this estate. Have you ever tasted Chateau Yquem wine? It's a divine pleasure you can experiment buying a recent bottle from the cooperative shop inside Yquem village. Price will start around 150 dollars a bottle. I remember my grand-mother forcing us (we were 7 years old)to drink 1949 Chateau Yquem wine on Christmas dinners. "You will never forget it" she said. None of my cousins neither myself did forget 1949 Chateau Yquem or our wise grand-mother.