For the first time in human history, there is food in abundance throughout the world. More people than ever before are now freed of the struggle for daily survival, yet few of us are aware of how food lands on our plates. Behind every meal you eat, there is a story. Hamburgers in Paradise explains how. In this wise and passionate book, Louise Fresco takes readers on an enticing cultural journey to show how science has enabled us to overcome past scarcities--and why we have every reason to be optimistic about the future. Using hamburgers in the Garden of Eden as a metaphor for the confusion surrounding food today, she looks at everything from the dominance of supermarkets and the decrease of biodiversity to organic foods and GMOs. She casts doubt on many popular claims about sustainability, and takes issue with naive rejections of globalization and the idealization of "true and honest" food. Fresco explores topics such as agriculture in human history, poverty and development, and surplus and obesity. She provides insightful discussions of basic foods such as bread, fish, and meat, and intertwines them with social topics like slow food and other gastronomy movements, the fear of technology and risk, food and climate change, the agricultural landscape, urban food systems, and food in art. The culmination of decades of research, Hamburgers in Paradise provides valuable insights into how our food is produced, how it is consumed, and how we can use the lessons of the past to design food systems to feed all humankind in the future.

A sweet tooth is a powerful thing. Babies everywhere seem to smile when tasting sweetness for the first time, a trait inherited, perhaps, from our ancestors who foraged for sweet foods that were generally safer to eat than their bitter counterparts. But the "science of sweet" is only the beginning of a fascinating story, because it is not basic human need or simple biological impulse that prompts us to decorate elaborate wedding cakes, scoop ice cream into a cone, or drop sugar cubes into coffee. These are matters of culture and aesthetics, of history and society, and we might ask many other questions. Why do sweets feature so prominently in children's literature? When was sugar called a spice? And how did chocolate evolve from an ancient drink to a modern candy bar? The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets explores these questions and more through the collective knowledge of 265 expert contributors, from food historians to chemists, restaurateurs to cookbook writers, neuroscientists to pastry chefs. The Companion takes readers around the globe and throughout time, affording glimpses deep into the brain as well as stratospheric flights into the world of sugar-crafted fantasies. More than just a compendium of pastries, candies, ices, preserves, and confections, this reference work reveals how the human proclivity for sweet has brought richness to our language, our art, and, of course, our gastronomy. In nearly 600 entries, beginning with "a la mode" and ending with the Italian trifle known as "zuppa inglese," the Companion traces sugar's journey from a rare luxury to a ubiquitous commodity. In between, readers will learn about numerous sweeteners (as well-known as agave nectar and as obscure as castoreum, or beaver extract), the evolution of the dessert course, the production of chocolate, and the neurological, psychological, and cultural responses to sweetness. The Companion also delves into the darker side of sugar, from its ties to colonialism and slavery to its addictive qualities. Celebrating sugar while acknowledging its complex history, The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets is the definitive guide to one of humankind's greatest sources of pleasure. Like kids in a candy shop, fans of sugar (and aren't we all?) will enjoy perusing the wondrous variety to be found in this volume.

A Pulitzer prize-finalist peels back the curtain on an unexplored part of Julia Child's life-the formidable team of six she collaborated with to shape her legendary career. Julia Child's monumental Mastering the Art of French Cooking and iconic television show The French Chef required a team of innovators to bring out her unique presence and personality. Warming Up Julia Child is behind-the-scenes look at this supporting team, revealing how the savvy of these helpers, collaborators, and supporters contributed to Julia's overwhelming success. Julia is the central subject, but Helen Horowitz has her share the stage with those who aided her work. She reveals that the most important element in Julia Child's ultimate success was her unusual capacity for forming fruitful alliances, whether it was Paul Child, Simone Beck, Avis DeVoto, Judith Jones and William Koshland (at Knopf), and Ruth Lockwood (at WGBH). Without the contribution of these six collaborators Julia could never have accomplished what she did. Filled with vivid correspondance, fascinating characters, and the iconic joie de vivre that makes us come back to Julia again and again, Warming Up Julia Child is essential reading for anyone who adores Julia and her legacy.

Written in a style similar to that of Nigel Slater s multi-award-winning food memoir Toast, this is a celebration of the glory, humour, eccentricities and embarrassments that are the British at Table.

The British have a relationship with their food that is unlike that of any other country. Once something that was never discussed in polite company, it is now something with which the nation is obsessed. But are we at last developing a food culture or are we just going through the motions?

Eating for England is an entertaining, detailed and somewhat tongue-in-cheek observation of the British and their food, their cooking, their eating and how they behave in restaurants, with chapters on amongst other things dinner parties, funeral teas, Indian restaurants, dieting and eating whilst under the influence.

Written in Nigel Slater s trademark readable style, Eating for England highlights our idiosyncratic attitude towards the fine art of dining."

An ex-yacht chef uncovers the dark reality of life at sea. By the age of twenty-two, Melanie is ticking life's boxes as if filling in a routine survey. Good grades at school? Check. Reliable university degree? Check. Steady graduate job? Check. Her two feet are planted firmly on solid ground; her life to date perfectly mirrors society's expectations. That is until she finds herself plunged into the superyacht industry, like an ice cube thrown into a cut crystal glass of the finest whisky, having stepped foot on a boat just three times before. Not only is she required to learn how to run, sail, and race a multi-million-pound yacht on the job, she is forced to adapt to a wholly unnatural life afloat, largely confined to a bunk bed, crammed galley, and live-in colleagues. Oh, and to devise, develop, and deliver fine dining menus for some of the wealthiest people on the planet. No biggie. From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean to the Arctic she cruises, visiting places many can only dream of, orienting herself in an environment few have the opportunity to observe. But while her culinary knowledge evolves and her on-board responsibilities grow, the world as she knows it begins to close in. The depth of the ocean no longer phases her; it's the darkness inside which she fears. Behind Ocean Lines is a deeply personal account of a deterioration in mental health against a backdrop of opulence. It is, shockingly, not an anomaly in the industry. It is about time the public is told.

Cider is a quite delicious drink which has been known for thousands of years and which has enjoyed a fashionable makeover in recent years. This practical book by Michael Pooley and John Lomax, both cidermakers of national repute for more than 20 years, explores both modern and traditional approaches, and has been designed to enable the enthusiast using any type of apples to make real cider with skill and confidence. The book covers the history of cidermaking, techniques for preserving apple juice for drinking, washing and crushing the apples, pressing the pulp, fermentation, blending and storing, cider-based recipes, the making of perry from pears and also includes instructions and a set of superb scaled plans for building an inexpensive cider press using hardwood or good quality softwood.

Two is a prime number that has now become a fast-growing market widely known as empty nesters. There is so very little designed especially for just two people. Here, a stylish foodie who lives in the real world has focused on the needs of two. Throughout fifteen years, Isabel has produced many hundreds of great romantic dinners for two. For any occasion, there is a collection: quick and easy; a little more time; and to indulge. When it's just for two and you want something new, recipes for four aren't too helpful. How do you halve an egg for instance? Here, Isabel has produced a stylish collection of recipes for two. Be it for intimate dinner or not, you'll find everything here. Isabel has an international background and takes enthusiastic delight in her wonderful food. Here, she has created real temptation for all the senses and every recipe has been properly tested, so that even inexperienced cooks are guaranteed success. This is an eclectic mix for two that is sensitive to the different time frames that can apply in a busy lifestyle. It is seasonally aware and produces great eating, rich in flavours and textures.

LOCAL. LASTING. DELICIOUS. The Wiley Canning Company Cookbook is a guide to home food preservation rooted in seasonality, education, and family. Chelsea J. O'Leary focuses equally on seasonal recipes and the foundational knowledge required to preserve food with sharp intuition and holistic understanding. No matter where you live-a downtown high-rise, suburban bungalow, or countryside ranch-these recipes are for you. In fact, most recipes can be created using produce picked up from any local farmers' market. As you use this cookbook, you will become a steward of your local land, farms, and home. INSIDE YOU'LL FIND: A case for why home food preservation matters today more than ever 45 seasonal canning, pickling, preserving, and freezing recipes Tips and tricks to create an intuitive and efficient workflow in your kitchen The history, science, and safety of home food preservation Resources to further expand your personal preserving practice

The art of the chef and the appreciation of good food have been with us since time immemorial, as this work delightfully demonstrates. Dedicating the book to 'professors of culinary science in the United Kingdom', the anonymous author sets out to trace developments 'from the age of pounded acorns to the refinements of modern luxury'. The style is irresistibly extravagant, with vocabulary to match, introducing the reader to the concept of the 'theogastrophilist': one who makes his belly his god. This vividly enjoyable exploration of the pleasures of eating begins its account in ancient Greece, and then embarks on a culinary journey through European history, featuring the fourteenth-century French cook Taillevent, the recipe collection Le viandier that was credited to him, and John Evelyn's 1699 vegetarian treatise Acetaria. Of universal appeal, the work was first published in 1814, and ran to a second edition in 1822, which is reissued here.

The discovery of cheese is a narrative at least 8,000 years old, dating back to the Neolithic era. Yet, after all of these thousands of years we are still finding new ways to combine the same four basic ingredients - milk, bacteria, salt, and enzymes - into new and exciting products with vastly different shapes, sizes, and colors, and equally complex and varied tastes, textures, and, yes, aromas. In fact, after a long period of industrialized, processed, and standardized cheese, cheesemakers, cheesemongers, affineurs, and most of all consumers are rediscovering the endless variety of cheeses across cultures. The Oxford Companion to Cheese is the first major reference work dedicated to cheese, containing 855 A-Z entries on cheese history, culture, science, and production. From cottage cheese to Camembert, from Gorgonzola to Gruyere, there are entries on all of the major cheese varieties globally, but also many cheeses that are not well known outside of their region of production. The concentrated whey cheeses popular in Norway, brunost, are covered here, as are the traditional Turkish and Iranian cheeses that are ripened in casings prepared from sheep's or goat's skin. There are entries on animal species whose milk is commonly (cow, goat, sheep) and not so commonly (think yak, camel, and reindeer) used in cheesemaking, as well as entries on a few highly important breeds within each species, such as the Nubian goat or the Holstein cow. Regional entries on places with a strong history of cheese production, biographies of influential cheesemakers, innovative and influential cheese shops, and historical entries on topics like manorial cheesemaking and cheese in children's literature round out the Companion's eclectic cultural coverage. The Companion also reflects a fascination with the microbiology and chemistry of cheese, featuring entries on bacteria, molds, yeasts, cultures, and coagulants used in cheesemaking and cheese maturing. The blooms, veins, sticky surfaces, gooey interiors, crystals, wrinkles, strings, and yes, for some, the odors of cheese are all due to microbial action and growth. And today we have unprecedented insight into the microbial complexity of cheese, thanks to advances in molecular biology, whole-genome sequencing technologies, and microbiome research. The Companion is equally interested in the applied elements of cheesemaking, with entries on production methodologies and the technology and equipment used in cheesemaking. An astonishing 325 authors contributed entries to the Companion, residing in 35 countries. These experts included cheesemakers, cheesemongers, dairy scientists, anthropologists, food historians, journalists, archaeologists, and on, from backgrounds as diverse as the topics they write about. Every entry is signed by the author, and includes both cross references to related topics and further reading suggestions. The endmatter includes a list of cheese-related museums and a thorough index. Three 8-page colour inserts and well over a hundred black and white images help bring the entries to life. This landmark encyclopedia is the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, and reliable reference work on cheese available, suitable for both novices and industry insiders alike.