""Life has become more joyous, comrades.""--Josef Stalin, 1936Stalin's Russia is best known for its political repression, forced collectivization and general poverty. Caviar with Champagne presents an altogether different aspect of Stalin's rule that has never been fully analyzed - the creation of a luxury goods society. At the same time as millions were queuing for bread and starving, drastic changes took place in the cultural and economic policy of the country, which had important consequences for the development of Soviet material culture and the promotion of its ideals of consumption.The 1930s witnessed the first serious attempt to create a genuinely Soviet commercial culture that would rival the West. Government ministers took exploratory trips to America to learn about everything from fast food hamburgers to men's suits in Macy's. The government made intricate plans to produce high-quality luxury goods en masse, such as chocolate, caviar, perfume, liquor and assorted novelties. Perhaps the best symbol of this new cultural order was Soviet Champagne, which launched in 1936 with plans to produce millions of bottles by the end of the decade. Drawing on previously neglected archival material, Jukka Gronow examines how such new pleasures were advertised and enjoyed. He interprets Soviet-styled luxury goods as a form of kitsch and examines the ideological underpinnings behind their production.This new attitude toward consumption was accompanied by the promotion of new manners of everyday life. The process was not without serious ideological contradictions. Ironically, a factory worker living in the United States - the largest capitalist society in the world - would have beenhard-pressed to afford caviar or champagne for a special occasion in the 1930s, but a Soviet worker theoretically could (assuming supplies were in stock). The Soviet example is unique since the luxury culture had to be created entirely from scratch, and the process was taken extremely seriously. Even the smallest decisions, such as the design of perfume bottles, were made at the highest level of government by the People's Commissars. Sometimes the interpretation of 'luxury goods' bordered on the comical, such as the push to produce Soviet ketchup and wurst. This fascinating look at consumer culture under Stalin offers a new perspective on the Soviet Union of the 1930s, as well as new interpretations on consumption.

Providing a cultural and holistic analysis of African American food preferences, anthropologist Eric Bailey shows us how black Americans generally perceive health, body image, food, dieting, physical fitness, and exercise. Like the majority of Americans overall, black Americans are becoming more overweight and obese than ever before. So, too, they are seeing the consequences - heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, and Type II diabetes at earlier and earlier ages. Bailey offers a new cultural diet for black Americans and a way to work together collectively to not only understand this critical health issue, but also to establish a lifestyle strategy that will be both effective and manageable. This work will interest not only general readers, but also students and scholars in health and medicine, psychology and health psychology, nursing and social work. Views on celebrity black Americans who have fought battles against their weight, a review of soul food cookbooks and the cultural history of black American cuisine, and a critique of the lack of corporate America's marketing of health and fitness programs and items to the black American community are spotlighted. book also includes an overview of federally funded diet and fitness programs for black Americans that have seen some success.

Cooking for two is feeding yourself and your partner, your best friend, your favorite sibling. It can be a magical endeavor—you don’t need a full house to treat yourself and your loved ones to a delicious, nourishing meal, and A Meal for Two provides all of the tools and inspiration you will need.

The book starts with easy, speedy, 15-minute weekday meals packed with flavor for when you’re short on time. A section on “nights in with your favorite person” is perfect when you’ve got a little extra time to play with, and there are meals for weekend moments when you may be looking to get a little fancy. Desserts and drinks for two will round out the meals, and there’s also a section on what to do with any leftovers.

In under 15 minutes make Crispy Gnocchi with Corn, Ricotta & Spinach on a Tuesday, or Cheeseburger Tacos on a Thursday. If you’ve got a little more bandwidth, Schnitzel with Kohlrabi Slaw or Vodka Gochujang pasta are sure to win over your bestie or other half. And on a slow Sunday, try your hand at Spicy Makhani Paneer Curry & Fresh Parathas—the leftovers can also become an Indian Crispy Rice and Herb Salad. Don’t forget a lighter than light Earl Grey Chocolate Pudding, or Crispy Thai Banana Roti for your sweet-toothed friend. The Clarified Espresso Martini and the Perfect Negroni each make two drinks, but you may want to have both!

Whether you’re looking for some inspiration while pressed for time, want something a little luxurious for a date night, or are relearning how to cook as an empty-nester, A Meal for Two is sure to win you and your loved one over with 95 recipes to make again and again.

..".contains fascinating material on the social, political, nutritional, and evolutionary aspects of human food choice...Scholars and students in food studies will find Consuming the Inedible useful for its variety of approaches to 'unusual' eating practices, and several of the chapters should also find their way onto reading lists for courses in the anthropology of food." . JRAI

Throughout the world, everyday, millions of people eat earth, clay, nasal mucus, and similar substances. Yet food practices like these are strikingly understudied in a sustained, interdisciplinary manner. This book aims to correct this neglect. Contributors, utilizing anthropological, nutritional, biochemical, psychological and health-related perspectives, examine in a rigorously comparative manner the consumption of foods conventionally regarded as inedible by most Westerners.

This book is both timely and significant because nutritionists and health care professionals are seldom aware of anthropological information on these food practices, and vice versa. Ranging across a diversity of disciplines Consuming the Inedible surveys scientific and local views about the consequences--biological, mineral, social or spiritual--of these food practices, and probes to what extent we can generalize about them.

Jeremy M. MacClancy is Professor of Anthropology, C. Jeya Henry is Professor of Nutrition and Helen M. Macbeth is an Honorary Research Fellow in Anthropology, all at Oxford Brookes University."

...this is a valuable addition to the food analyst;s library. It brings together a well balanced account of the methods available an the literature cited will provide the analyst with all the details needed for setting up water-soluble vitamin assays and further reading to understand why these vitamins are important to those concerned with human nutrition. ' - International Journal of Food Science and Technology This book is of practical use as a tool and reference work of laboratory managers, senior analysts and laboratory technicians in food and vitamin manufactrurinf companies, for those in govenment and research institutes and for medical researchers, public analyst and nutritionist, It can also be recommended for a broad audience including lectures, students of natural sciences and food technologist. - lesbensm Wiss und Technol.'I recommend Water-soluble vitamins Assays in Human Nutrition not only to scientist in academia and industry and students in all food related fields as a valuable and easily used reference... it wll most likely be the first book I reach for when the inevitable question arises.April 1994Price: 115.00UK

Hotelier and guest lodge owner extraordinaire Nicky Fitzgerald poses the question, ‘How can you
possibly feed guests who, when they are not on safari, are eating in the best restaurants on the planet?’

As she goes on to say, ‘It is a daunting challenge to prepare food in the middle of nowhere for guests
who come from all four corners of the world, from different culinary cultures and who, quite rightly,
expect the best of the best when it comes to choosing where to stay for their next holiday.’

Angama Mara not only rose to the challenge, it has exceeded it. Perched on the edge of the Great
Rift Valley overlooking Kenya’s lovely Maasai Mara, Angama Mara and its bush kitchen draws
inspiration from the finest ingredients to be found in Kenya: beautiful vegetables from the highlands,
tropical fruits a-plenty from the coast, cheese from a renowned supplier just outside of Nairobi,
prawns from Malindi, freshwater fish from Lake Victoria and beef from the north. As you will discover
as you read this book, Kenyan cuisine is deeply influenced by Arab-inspired Swahili dishes from the
coast and Indian food from the significant communities that have called this country home for many
generations. Aren’t your taste buds dancing with delight at the very thought?

This quirky anthology of recipes, reminiscences, anecdotes and stories was compiled and written
in honour of the chefs at Angama Mara, and its guests who made the dream possible. The food and
the breathtaking scenics were photographed by Sam Linsell, herself a well-known food stylist, food
and travel photographer, and cookbook author.

Marcie Cohen Ferris gathers a constellation of leading journalists, farmers, chefs, entrepreneurs, scholars, and food activists-along with photographer Baxter Miller- to offer a deeply immersive portrait of North Carolina's contemporary food landscape. Ranging from manifesto to elegy, Edible North Carolina's essays, photographs, interviews, and recipes combine for a beautifully revealing journey across the lands and waters of a state that exemplifies the complexities of American food and identity. While North Carolina's food heritage is grounded in core ingredients and the proximity of farm to table, this book reveals striking differences among food-centered cultures and businesses across the state. Documenting disparities among people's access to food and farmland-and highlighting community and state efforts toward fundamental solutions-Edible North Carolina shows how culinary excellence, entrepreneurship, and the struggle for racial justice converge in shaping food equity, not only for North Carolinians, but for all Americans. Starting with Vivian Howard, star of PBS's A Chef's Life, who wrote the foreword, the contributors include Shorlette Ammons, Karen Amspacher, Victoria Bouloubasis, Katy Clune, Gabe Cumming, Marcie Cohen Ferris, Sandra Gutierrez, Tom Hanchett, Michelle King, Cheetie Kumar, Courtney Lewis, Malinda Maynor Lowery, Ronni Lundy, Keia Mastrianni, April McGreger, Baxter Miller, Ricky Moore, Carla Norwood, Kathleen Purvis, Andrea Reusing, Bill Smith, Maia Surdam, and Andrea Weigl.

Maine is justly known for its seafood -- and freshwater fish -- and this classic cookbook features it all, including some of the lesser-known species.

Renaissance Italy's art, literature, and culture continue to fascinate. The domestic life has been examined more in recent years, and this book reveals the preparation, eating, and the sociability of dining in Renaissance Italy. It takes readers behind the scenes to the Renaissance kitchen and dining room, where everyday meals as well as lavish banquets were prepared and consumed. Katherine McIver considers the design, equipment, and location of the kitchen and food prep and storage rooms in both middle-class homes and grand country estates. The diner's room, the orchestration of dining, and the theatrical experience of dining are detailed as well, all in the context of the renowned food and architectural scholars of the day.

You've made it to Friday, now what are you going to eat? Having spent years gathering friends around her kitchen table, Eleanor has perfected the art of Friday night dinner. It usually starts with a sip of something cold and ends with friends tipsily heading home, full and happy. But most importantly, there's always something good to eat. Here are more than a hundred recipes for the best night of the week. If you're planning to spend the evening on the sofa, have your closest friend over or even host the masses, why not try Eleanor's fail-safe crowdpleasers: Frozen jalapeno margaritas Baked potato with hot smoked salmon, soured cream and pickled radishes Bucatini with mushroom cream and crispy sage Sausages with lemony, caraway cabbage and apples Roast chicken with chicken juice rice and orange and onion salad Ginger, prune and PX cake with cardamom custard And amongst the recipes are thoughts on the glamour of mixing a martini for one, the lifesaving magic of a really good spaghetti carbonara, and the joy of a table laden with bits, waiting for hungry hands. So, fill your favourite glass, choose something mouth-watering to cook and embrace all that Friday night has to offer.

In The New Southern Garden Cookbook, Sheri Castle aims to make "what's in season" the answer to "what's for dinner?" This timely cookbook, with dishes for omnivores and vegetarians alike, celebrates and promotes delicious, healthful homemade meals centered on the diverse array of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown in the South, and in most of the rest of the nation as well. Increased attention to the health benefits and environmental advantages of eating locally, Castle notes, is inspiring Americans to partake of the garden by raising their own kitchen plots, visiting area farmers' markets and pick-your-own farms, and signing up for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes from local growers. The New Southern Garden Cookbook offers over 300 brightly flavored recipes that will inspire beginning and experienced cooks, southern or otherwise, to take advantage of seasonal delights. Castle has organized the cookbook alphabetically by type of vegetable or fruit, building on the premise that when cooking with fresh produce, the ingredient, not the recipe, is the wiser starting point. While some dishes are inspired by traditional southern recipes, many reveal the goodness of gardens in new, contemporary ways. Peppered with tips, hints, and great stories, these pages make for good food and a good read.

One bowl meals are the answer to quick, simple meals that are well thought out, balanced and filling.

Filled with grains, noodles, rice or millets, vegetables and protein, they serve as the perfect weeknight meal that is complete, can be made in individual portions, makes good use of left overs and are extremely versatile. Bowl meals give you the flexibility to switch out ingredients based on dietary restrictions, healthy choices or personal tastes. Indian food offers a variety of flavours and opportunity to pair different flavours, techniques, marinades and ingredients.

Chef Megha Kohli takes the principles of the traditional Indian meal and applies it to the popular ‘one bowl meal’ concept to give you recipes that are easy to follow, quick to whip up and in which eat bite offers an exciting combination of taste, textures and flavours.

Michael Ruhlman's groundbreaking "New York Times" bestseller takes us to the very "truth" of cooking: it is not about recipes but rather about basic ratios and fundamental techniques that makes all food come together, simply.
When you know a culinary ratio, it's not like knowing a single recipe, it's instantly knowing a thousand.
Why spend time sorting through the millions of cookie recipes available in books, magazines, and on the Internet? Isn't it easier just to remember 1-2-3? That's the ratio of ingredients that always make a basic, delicious cookie dough: 1 part sugar, 2 parts fat, and 3 parts flour. From there, add anything you want--chocolate, lemon and orange zest, nuts, poppy seeds, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, almond extract, or peanut butter, to name a few favorite additions. Replace white sugar with brown for a darker, chewier cookie. Add baking powder and/or eggs for a lighter, airier texture.
Ratios are the starting point from which a thousand variations begin.
Ratios are the simple proportions of one ingredient to another. Biscuit dough is 3:1:2--or 3 parts flour, 1 part fat, and 2 parts liquid. This ratio is the beginning of many variations, and because the biscuit takes sweet and savory flavors with equal grace, you can top it with whipped cream and strawberries or sausage gravy. Vinaigrette is 3:1, or 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, and is one of the most useful sauces imaginable, giving everything from grilled meats and fish to steamed vegetables or lettuces intense flavor.
Cooking with ratios will unchain you from recipes and set you free. With thirty-three ratios and suggestions for enticing variations, "Ratio" is the truth of cooking: basic preparations that teach us how the fundamental ingredients of the kitchen--water, flour, butter and oils, milk and cream, and eggs--work. Change the ratio and bread dough becomes pasta dough, cakes become muffins become popovers become crepes.
As the culinary world fills up with overly complicated recipes and never-ending ingredient lists, Michael Ruhlman blasts through the surplus of information and delivers this innovative, straightforward book that cuts to the core of cooking. "Ratio" provides one of the greatest kitchen lessons there is--and it makes the cooking easier and more satisfying than ever.

Ready to get pickling? This brightly illustrated guide is your invitation to a voyage down the Great Pickle Highway, with 36 recipes for famous and funky ferments, along with a jarful of fascinating pickle tidbits and lore.

Pickled foods come in all shapes and sizes, from spicy, bold shreds of classic kimchi to slightly sweet, crunchy bread and butter discs. Inside Pickles, Illustrated, you’ll discover four categories of pickles: sour-ish, savory-ish, sweet-ish, and spicy-ish. Recipes for classics such as Pickled Red Onion sit alongside deeper cuts like Spicy Blackened Szechuan Pickled Peppers—all delicious options for your next charcuterie board.

Instructions for each recipe include the preferred pickling method as well as expert guidance on the type of salt best suited for that particular pickled delicacy (whichever fruit, veggie, seafood, or mix of ingredients it may be). The four preserving methods employed throughout are: Quick pickles, or quickles Refrigerator pickles Fermentation Salt-curing

Sprinkled among the recipes are salty bits of pickle culture and traditions from around the world, like the origins of Kimchi Day in Korea and the history behind the ubiquitous pickle holiday ornament. In a pickle to find a gift for the pickle lover in your life? Relish this moment—you’ve found it!

Ever since Darwin and "The Descent of Man," the existence of humans has been attributed to our intelligence and adaptability. But in "Catching Fire," renowned primatologist Richard Wrangham presents a startling alternative: our evolutionary success is the result of cooking. In a groundbreaking theory of our origins, Wrangham shows that the shift from raw to cooked foods was the key factor in human evolution. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity began. Once our hominid ancestors began cooking their food, the human digestive tract shrank and the brain grew. Time once spent chewing tough raw food could be sued instead to hunt and to tend camp. Cooking became the basis for pair bonding and marriage, created the household, and even led to a sexual division of labor. Tracing the contemporary implications of our ancestors' diets, "Catching Fire" sheds new light on how we came to be the social, intelligent, and sexual species we are today. A pathbreaking new theory of human evolution, "Catching Fire" will provoke controversy and fascinate anyone interested in our ancient origins--or in our modern eating habits.

Drawing directly from his experience as an acclaimed climate-change gardener, and of setting up a kitchen garden from scratch for River Cottage, Mark explains the practical aspects of organic growing, introduces us to a whole world of vegetables we may not have previously considered, and does away with alienating gardening jargon once and for all. Mark begins with a catalogue of vegetables that will grow in this country, explaining for each their benefits, what varieties to go for, dos and don'ts, and popular culinary uses. He then invites us to create a wish list of foods, and shows us his own list from his early gardening days. Next, he explains how to turn this wish list into a coherent kitchen garden plan appropriate for our space, whether it be a patch of acidic soil, a roof-top garden or an allotment, whether we put on our wellies in every free moment or are 'time-poor' gardeners. Then he puts all the theory into practice, showing us how to look after nutrients in the soil, how to resist pests and diseases, and how to make our garden sustainable and organic. In clear, concise sections we learn about seed trays, supporting plants with climbing structures, mulching, composting, companion planting, irrigation and promoting pollination, and there are additional tables showing sowing and harvesting times, plant sizes, and alternative varieties of plants for different sites.About thirty recipes and a directory of useful addresses finish the book, and the handbook is complemented by bright colour photography throughout. Practical and inspiring, with a textured hard cover and an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, "Veg Patch" is destined to join Handbooks No. 1, 2 and 3 as an indispensible household reference.