For the past four decades, increasing numbers of Americans have started paying greater attention to the food they eat, buying organic vegetables, drinking fine wines, and seeking out exotic cuisines. Yet they are often equally passionate about the items they refuse to eat: processed foods, generic brands, high-carb meals. While they may care deeply about issues like nutrition and sustainable agriculture, these discriminating diners also seek to differentiate themselves from the unrefined eater, the common person who lives on junk food. Discriminating Taste argues that the rise of gourmet, ethnic, diet, and organic foods must be understood in tandem with the ever-widening income inequality gap. Offering an illuminating historical perspective on our current food trends, S. Margot Finn draws numerous parallels with the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century, an era infamous for its class divisions, when gourmet dinners, international cuisines, slimming diets, and pure foods first became fads. Examining a diverse set of cultural touchstones ranging from Ratatouille to The Biggest Loser, Finn identifies the key ways that "good food" has become conflated with high status. She also considers how these taste hierarchies serve as a distraction, leading middle-class professionals to focus on small acts of glamorous and virtuous consumption while ignoring their class's larger economic stagnation. A provocative look at the ideology of contemporary food culture, Discriminating Taste teaches us to question the maxim that you are what you eat.

Apple cider vinegar has a long history as a folk remedy for a variety of health conditions and, as a result, has achieved something akin to cult status among natural health enthusiasts. But many people don't realize that there is a whole world of options beyond store-bought ACV or distilled white vinegar. In fact, vinegar can be made from anything with fermentable sugar, whether leftover juicing pulp or brown bananas, wildflowers or beer. With her in-depth guide, Kirsten K. Shockey takes readers on a deep dive into the wide-ranging possibilities alive in this ancient condiment, health tonic, and global kitchen staple. In-depth coverage of the science of vinegar and the basics of equipment, brewing, bottling, and aging gives readers the foundational skills and knowledge for fermenting their own vinegar. Then the real journey begins, as the book delves into the many methods and ingredients for making vinegars, from apple cider to red wine to rice to aged balsamic. Along the way, Shockey shares insights into vinegar-making traditions around the world and her own recipes for making vinegar tonics, infused vinegars, and oxymels.

Oysters: A Celebration in the Raw is true to its title from start to finish. Chapter One is a primer on all things oyster. Chapter Two introduces readers to legendary oystermen and women from around the country. Chapter Three offers exquisite photographs of more than fifty varieties of North American oysters, along with flavor profiles and their merrior. This book concludes with highlights from the oyster timeline, depictions of oysters in art through the ages and stories of oysters as aphrodisiacs, and parses oyster myths and metaphors. It also features an oyster glossary and resource list. This is the only book of its kind: a definitive visual companion to this iconic, much loved mollusk. Overflowing with gorgeous original photography and fascinating anecdotes, Oysters: A Celebration in the Raw is the perfect book for oyster aficionados and newbies, foodies and chefs of all stripes, lovers of photography and art, the environment, history, and the sea.

This irresistible book offers accessible and delicious food without fuss - perfect for the modern cook. Every recipe is easy to follow, quick to make, but yet still tastes sensational. Whether you are a first time cook, a cook in a hurry or your fridge is looking decidedly bare, then this book is for you. Creating memorable meals with just three ingredients may feel daunting but be guided by our expert author and enjoy the warm comfort of oven-baked porcini risotto, or whip up stir-fried chicken with Thai basil in minutes. If you are after something sweet, you won't be disappointed with indulgent delights such as raspberry and lemon tartlets and passion fruit souffles. Whatever your mood, and whatever the occasion, you can cook up a storm with this fun, innovative approach to cooking.

Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Shepherd's pie. Chicken potpie. Sweet or savory, pies are beloved; everyone has a favorite. Yet despite its widespread appeal there has never been a book devoted to this humble dish--until now. Janet Clarkson in "Pie "illustrates how what was once a purely pragmatic dish of thick layers of dough has grown into an esteemed creation of culinary art. There is as much debate about how to perfect the ideal, flaky pastry crust as there is about the very definition of a pie: Must it have a top and bottom crust? Is a pasty a pie? In flavorful detail, Clarkson celebrates the pie in all its variations. She touches pon the pie's commercial applications, nutritional value, and cultural significance; and she examines its international variations, from Britain's pork pie and Australia and New Zealand's endless varieties of meat pie to the Russian kurnik and good old-fashioned American apple pie. This delectable salute to the many pies enjoyed the world over will satisfy the appetites of all readers hungry for culinary history and curious about the many varieties of this delightful food, and it just might inspire them to don aprons and head for the stove.

Tells the dual story of the growth in popularity in the United States from the 1860s onwards and the remarkable role it played in Central American history as a result of the chicle used in its production farmed on the Yucatan peninsula.

Foodscapes explores the nexus of food, drink, space, and place, both locally and globally. Multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary in scope, scholars consider the manifold experiences that we have when engaging with food, drink, space, and place. They offer a wide array of theories, methods, and perspectives, which can be used as lenses for analyzing these interconnections, throughout each chapter. Scholars interrogate our practices and behaviors with food within spaces and places, analyze the meanings that we create about these entities, and demonstrate their wider cultural, political, social, economic, and material implications.

Along with basic practical reasons, our practices concerning food and drink are driven by context and environment, belief and convention, aspiration and desire to display - in short, by culture. Similarly, culture guides how tourism is used and operates. This book examines food and drink tourism, as it is now and is likely to develop, through a cultural 'lens'. It asks: what is food and drink tourism, and why have food and drink provisions and information points become tourist destinations in their own right, rather than remaining among a number of tourism features and components? While it offers a range of international examples, the main focus is on food and drink tourism in the UK. What with the current diversification of tourism in rural areas, the increased popularity of this type of tourism in the UK, the series of BSE, vCJD and foot and mouth crises in British food production, and the cultural and ethnic fusion in British towns and cities, it makes a particularly rich place in which to explore this subject. The author concludes that the future of food and drink tourism lies in diversity and distinctiveness. In an era of globalisation, there is a particular desire to enjoy varied, rather than mono-cultural ambiance and experience. She also notes that there is an immediacy of gratification in food and drink consumption which has become a general requirement of contemporary society.

The Italian political right is outraged by halal tortellini and a pork-free lasagna served at the Vatican. In India, Hindu fundamentalists organize attacks on Muslims who sell beef. European anti-immigrant politicians denounce couscous and kebabs. In an era of nationalist and exclusionary movements, food has become a potent symbol of identity. Why has eating become so politically charged-and can the emotions surrounding food be redirected in a healthier direction? Fabio Parasecoli identifies and defines the phenomenon of "gastronativism," the ideological use of food to advance ideas about who belongs to a community and who does not. As globalization and neoliberalism have transformed food systems, people have responded by seeking to return to their roots. Many have embraced local ingredients and notions of cultural heritage, but this impulse can play into the hands of nationalist and xenophobic political projects. Such movements draw on the strong emotions connected with eating to stoke resentment and contempt for other people and cultures. Parasecoli emphasizes that gastronativism is a worldwide phenomenon, even as it often purports to oppose local aspects and consequences of globalization. He also explores how to channel pride in culinary traditions toward resisting transnational corporations, uplifting marginalized and oppressed groups, and assisting people left behind by globalization. Featuring a wide array of examples from all over the world, Gastronativism is a timely, incisive, and lively analysis of how and why food has become a powerful political tool.

At its most basic, food is vital to our survival there can be no form of life without it. But in economically developed and thriving societies there is more to eating and drinking than just surviving. As the centuries have passed, the marketing, preparation and presentation of food has become an intrinsic part of the modern consumer society. Food operates in the religious sphere too, with consumption and abstinence playing their part in religious ritual whilst methods of animal slaughter have moved into the political, as well as the religious arena. Food not only sustains the migrant on both the real and metaphorical journey from home to elsewhere, it also provides a bridge between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Food acts as a catalyst for cultural fusion and excitement but it can also endanger: change of diet all too frequently creating as many health problems as it resolves. Its multi-disciplinary nature enables Food in the Migrant Experience to address all the above issues in chapters written by leading academics in the fields of migration, economics, nutrition, medicine and history. As we continue to explore the minutiae of the immigrant experience, this book will be essential reading to all those engaged in the study of migration.

This comprehensive, technical guide offers the curious home distiller pretty much everything there is to know about distilling fruit brandies. Raw materials, fermentation, mashing, alcohol determination, clarifying and filtering, and storage are all presented in great detail through text, diagrams, and photos. Each and every aspect of distilling is presented, including timing, yields, detecting distillation errors, and more. This guide also offers a thorough introduction to the proper usage of necessary equipment ranging from measuring devices and vessels to simple stills and stills with enhancement systems, or columns. And for the enterprising distiller there is also an introduction to the process of grain distillation. Here is a great resource for adventurous artisans, home brewers, and vintners.

Foodscapes explores the nexus of food, drink, space, and place, both locally and globally. Multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary in scope, scholars consider the manifold experiences that we have when engaging with food, drink, space, and place. They offer a wide array of theories, methods, and perspectives, which can be used as lenses for analyzing these interconnections, throughout each chapter. Scholars interrogate our practices and behaviors with food within spaces and places, analyze the meanings that we create about these entities, and demonstrate their wider cultural, political, social, economic, and material implications.

When life hands you lemons, make butterflies! This color illustrated guide for the beginning food sculptor explores different carving techniques and offers a broad range of projects simple enough for anyone to accomplish, beautiful enough to astonish any guest. Likewise, the experienced food sculptor will find this book a gold mine of ideas. It's packed with images and stencil templates for creating amazing table centerpieces, plus plate and platter garnishes. Trained in the capital of China, Yuci Tan brings Oriental design to edible food sculptures. Deli slices never looked so good, and who would ever have thought a honeydew melon could be so versatile. Simple tomatoes and cucumbers become works of art, and hard boiled eggs, apples, and eggplants are transformed into charming characters, tropical fish, and elegant flowers. And here, finally, is the solution to that annual conundrum - what to do with the garden's overabundance of zucchini. Explore the possibilities!

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

'European Gastronomy into the 21st Century' is a unique text examining the development and origins of European food traditions within social, economic and geographical contexts.

Gastronomy is the art and science of good eating and drinking: a concept that extends outwards to embrace wider notions of tradition, culture, society and civilisation. This book provides a rigorous, well researched and much needed treatment of the subject, systematically outlining:
* the development of European gastronomic tradition, and the social, economic, philosophical and geographical contexts of change
* the experiences, philosophies and relative contributions of great gastronomes, past and present
* the interplay of traditional and contemporary influences on modern gastronomy
* the relationship between gastronomy and and travel and tourism
* salient issues of nutrition, food hygiene and health promotion
Taking an all-encompassing look at the subject of gastronomy past, present and future, 'European Gastronomy into the 21st Century' uses example menus and case studies to demonstrate the theory. It also provides an insight into the business arena, using key destination restaurants to illustrate management techniques and marketing issues. Accessible and highly structured, the book guides the reader through its wide-ranging and thought-provoking content.
The only book of its kind in this subject area
Completely up-to-date comprehensive guide
Essential reading for industry practitioners and students of hospitality management and culinary arts courses

The first volume of Peter Brears' history of English cookery covered the Middle Ages. It was so good that it won outright the Andre Simon Award for the best food book of 2009. This will be even better. It treats of an heroic period in English history when new foods were reaching our shores from the New World, and new styles of cooking were being adopted from France and Italy. Even more important, it's a period that has barely been touched upon by previous accounts. What is unique about Brears' book is that he combines an account of the cookery with a close look at the practical arrangements, the kitchens and dining-halls, where that food was cooked and consumed. His prose is enlivened by his drawings - as accurate as can be - which lay bare to the modern reader just what was going on in places like Hampton Court palace, as well as in humbler homes throughout the land. There are plenty of recipes for those who like to try things for themselves, all properly tested by the author, who is a historic food consultant to TV and country house owners.The era begins with the near-medieval styles of Henry VII and VIII, with special attention to Henry VIII's propagandizing banquets and feasts for foreign monarchs; progresses to the reign of Elizabeth, the effects of new foodstuffs from America, and treats of some of the great houses of the Tudor aristocracy; and finishes with the first two Stuart kings, James I and Charles I under whose rule we began to move towards a more modern style of cooking and when we also started to produce cookery books in large number.