Award-winning food critic and writer William Sitwell chronicles the fascinating global history of dining out, from the Roman wine taverns of ancient Pompeii to today's high-tech molecular gastronomy. Have you ever wondered where the first coffee shop sprung up, or when the sushi conveyor belt was invented? Unbelievably, the global history of the dining establishment has never been told--until now. Journeying 2,000 years into the past, acclaimed food critic and writer William Sitwell artfully traces the earliest origins of the widespread cultural practice of eating out, from its most basic to most sophisticated forms. Whether he's traversing the inns and taverns of Pompeii before its destruction in A.D. 79, witnessing the tumultuous emergence of fine dining during the French Revolution, or recounting the mid-twentieth-century invention of the taco machine in New York City, Sitwell's engaging prose gives readers a front-row seat to the restaurant experience across cultures and millennia. He follows the fashions that shape the way we dine, meeting the restaurateurs of today and yesterday whose establishments shaped society for good or ill. And after offering a wry history of the world through the prism of the eatery, he ponders its exciting future. Chefs, critics, restaurateurs, and foodies alike will delight in all the sweet and savory details offered up in this lively and highly absorbing romp through social and culinary history, packed with color photographs and illustrations.

Reading about the slime-covered, non-Euclidean ruins of R'lyeh or the squamous, tentacled deity who slumbers there would make anyone hungry. Starting with puns, Mike Slater and Thomas Roache have summoned forth 50 funny, bizarre and horrible dishes such as: The Deep Fried Deep One, Nog Sothoth, Cthus-Koos, and The Gin and Miskatonic. Like H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon, the legendary and forbidden book of the dead that is "alien to all sane and balanced readers", this cookbook contains many dark and delicious secrets. It comes infested with sanity-melting and mouth-watering illustrations as well as annotations full of crazed discoveries and desperate warnings about the recipes that brave readers will undertake.

Erin Jeanne McDowell, New York Times contributing baker extraordinaire and top food stylist, wrote the book on pie, a comprehensive handbook that distills all you'll ever need to know for making perfect pies. The Book on Pie starts with the basics, including ways to mix pie dough for extra flaky crusts, storage and freezing, recipe size conversions, and expert tips for decorating and styling, before diving into the recipes for all the different kinds of pies: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold set, savory, and mini. Find everything from classics like Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie, to more inspired recipes like Birthday-Cake Pie and Caramel Pork Pie with Chile and Scallions. Erin also suggests recommended pie doughs and toppings with each recipe for infinitely customizable pies: Mix and match Pumpkin Spice Pie Dough and Dark Chocolate Drippy Glaze with the Pumpkin Pie, or sub in the Chive Compound-Butter Crust for the Croque Madame Pielets . . . the possibilities are endless. With helpful tips, photographic guides, and inspirations-pie-deas-it's almost like having Erin in the kitchen baking pies with you.

Manners & Morals of Victorian America is your gateway to the fashionable world of Victorian America. It draws from the wealth of late 19th and early twentieth etiquette books. With over 400 historic engravings and illustrations, the book details virtually every aspect of Victorian life, including the proper conduct for courtship and wooing, duties of husbands and wives, how to deal with a rejected suitor and even carriage and motoring manners. 7"x10," 180 pages.

What would the world look like if more of us cared for more people? What if we were vulnerable in sharing our whole story, the good and the bad, and not just the highlight reel? How could our stories, if authentically told, help others through their pain, grief, or depression? In his new memoir, NO LUCKS GIVEN, Chef Brother Luck shares the dramatic story of his childhood, the life lessons he learned on the streets, in kitchens, and in counseling sessions, and compels us to both ask for help and do the hard work of helping others. Through the lens of his own prioritiesfaith, family, and foodBrother sets the table for meaningful conversation by acknowledging his pain, being vulnerable, and sharing the wisdom he has learned from his mentors.

Everyone knows someone who's sick or suffering. Yet when a friend or relative is under duress many of us feel uncertain about how to cope.
Throughout her recent bout with breast cancer, Letty Cottin Pogrebin became fascinated by her friends' and family's diverse reactions to her and her illness: how awkwardly some of them behaved; how some misspoke or misinterpreted her needs; and how wonderful it was when people read her right. She began talking to her fellow patients and dozens of other veterans of serious illness, seeking to discover what sick people wished their friends knew about how best to comfort, help, and even simply talk to them.
Now Pogrebin has distilled their collective stories and opinions into this wide-ranging compendium of pragmatic guidance and usable wisdom. Her advice is always infused with sensitivity, warmth, and humor. It is embedded in candid stories from her own and others' journeys, and their sometimes imperfect interactions with well-meaning friends. "How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick" is an invaluable guidebook for anyone hoping to rise to the challenges of this most important and demanding passage of friendship.

Contains information about what every modern bride needs to know for her Scottish wedding. From engagement to honeymoon, the author comes up with practical information, unique ideas and count down lists. She urges the reader to leave nothing to chance - always a have contingency - so that by the big day the Bride knows she has done everything.

Now in its second edition, The Children's Party Book has become an invaluable reference for parents and carers short on time and ideas. It contains 240 ideas for games and craft activities that will make any children's party, from 3 to 12 years, go with a swing. All the activities are clearly presented with illustrations, diagrams and step-by-step practical descriptions, and are coded for age-suitability. Special topics covered include: how to celebrate that special birthday; how to make and perform a simple theatre for young children; how to organize parties with a seasonal theme; and how to make attractive decorations.

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Delivering belly laughs, hee-haws, and downright slackjaw amazement, this hilarious guide to the homeland of George W. and Willie Nelson is the essential how-to for surviving in the Lone Star State. From strange Texas laws and the history of Dr. Pepper to "Texas Talk" (in which a "turd floater" is a heavy downpour) and final-meal requests by death row inmates, Kinky Friedman, "the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own any real estate," provides an insider's guide that will be loved by native Texans and the rest of us poor devils alike.

Even if you don't know the difference between an Aggie and an armadillo -- or what's really in the back on Willie Nelson's tour bus -- you can pass for a Texan with the Kinkster's expert coaching. So grab your hairspray and the keys to the Cadillac and get reading!

How do you get rid of unwanted guests? What do you do if there's a racket in the quiet carriage? How should you eat peas, and behave in queues? How to behave, like how to punctuate, is an aspect of life that many are no longer taught - and getting it wrong is the stuff of comedy at best and humiliation at worst. Thankfully, Sandi Toksvig has come to the rescue with her entertaining guide to modern manners,with tips on what to do whether you're talking to a bore, or forgot their name in the first place. (Just call them 'darling'.) The award-winning Radio 4 broadcaster and writer offers guidance on the social pitfalls of every phase of life, from christenings to condolence letters. With characteristic wit and perceptiveness, and revealing the trickiest of her encounters along the way, she highlights decency rather than convention and provides an essential guide to twenty-first century behaviour. Now this down-to-earth, hilarious guide is available in perfect pocket-sized paperback size.

Debrett's Netiquette, a Debrett's Pocket Book, is a definitive guide to digital dilemmas and how to deal with them... In a world where technology moves fast and behaviour is evolving, it is essential that a new code of manners addresses new ways of communicating. People are uncertain how they should behave around new technology, and Debrett's Netiquette is a considered response to a changing world. It is for anyone who uses modern technology; from teenagers to grandparents. Packed with quotes, facts, historical information and etiquette advice, humour, wit and expert knowledge combine with a clever and eye-catching design to create a distinctive book.

Debrett's Men's Style, a Debrett's Pocket Book, is an invaluable guide to looking good for the well-dressed, and well-mannered, modern man. Building on the success of Debrett's Guide for the Modern Gentleman, this compact, and authoritative, pocket book is an indispensable reference for the stylish man. Packed with quotes, facts, historical information and useful advice. Humour, wit and expert knowledge combine with a clever and eye-catching design to create a distinctive book.

After the Second World War, a newly affluent United States reached for its own gourmet culture, one at ease with the French international style of Escoffier, but also distinctly American. Enter James Beard, authority on cooking and eating, his larger-than-life presence and collection of whimsical bow ties were synonymous with the nation's food for decades, even after his death in 1985. In the first biography of Beard in twenty-five years, acclaimed writer John Birdsall argues that Beard's struggles as a closeted gay man directly influenced his creation of an American cuisine. Starting in the 1920s, Beard escaped loneliness and banishment by travelling abroad to places where people ate for pleasure, not utility, and found acceptance at home by crafting an American ethos of food likewise built on passion and delight. Informed by never-before-tapped correspondence and lush with details of a golden age of home cooking, The Man Who Ate Too Much is a commanding portrait of a towering figure who still represents the best in food.

Dorothy Draper (1889-1969), was one of the grand dames of modern interior design. Like her contemporaries Diana Vreeland and Elsie De Wolfe, Draper became an icon of stylish living through her interior decorating and her many books. A reproduction of the first edition originally published in 1941, ENTERTAINING IS FUN! is one of Draper's most delightful creations: a sparkling guide to entertaining with flair, from dinner parties for family or friends to holiday meals, weekend guests, weddings, and more.

An illustrated guide to spotting dandies, cads, eccentrics and other species of English gentlemen. Am I A Chap? seeks to classify every species and subspecies of English gentleman that one may observe throughout the seasons within these isles. From the flamboyant young fop to the crusty old duffer, Am I A Chap? will help readers to spot them all in their natural habitat. The book looks at established chaps such as Beau Brummell, Max Beerbohm, Edward VIII, and Cary Grant; deceased dandies such as the Comte de Montesquiou and Fred Astaire; contemporary chaps, such as the Gentleman Explorer, the Libertine, the Old Codger, the Country Squire, the Bohemian Chap, the City Gent. It takes a look at the finer details of clothing, from the Cravat to the Brogue, via the Hacking jacket, the Umbrella, the Walking cane, the Fair Isle sweater, Pyjamas, the Blazer, Spats and, of course, the Panama. There are tips on where to find them, where they tend to gather, and the emporia worldwide whither Chaps progress in order to equip themselves. Laced with delicate humour and a wry wit, this is an indispensable handbook for the coat pocket of every enthusiastic chap-spotter all over the world.

Do you enjoy a bit of spice in life? Are you tired of the same old recipes? Do you want to take your cooking skills to the next level? Check out spiced up recipes from classics to newer trends here in Chile & Spice. Impress your friends and family with your cooking abilities, and enjoy some really great dishes along the way.

• CLASSIC TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY RECIPES: The best of traditional and contemporary cooking for all occasions, with a bit of a kick! For a romantic dinner, special celebration, holidays, entertaining and more, there is a perfect, well-loved recipe for every get-together.
• RECIPES & PHOTOS: Recipes for every mood and occasion and beautiful photos for each recipe will keep enthusiasts excited to continue to try new recipes every week.
• MAKES A GREAT GIFT: Birthdays, holidays, Mother's or Father's Day and more, The Craft of Cocktails makes a great gift for any occasion.

This little gift book turns into a beautiful holiday decoration. A novel way to usher in the holidays, Christmas in a Book transforms into a cheerfully decorated tree that you can display on a desk, table, or mantle. The pages feature familiar lyrics from "The Twelve Days of Christmas" along with pop-up branches decorated with ornaments representing each of the twelve days. Simply take the jacket off, pop the branches up, and turn this book into an instant Christmas tree, complete with ladies dancing, drummers drumming, and a partridge in a pear tree. Special Features Jacketed hardcover with 24 pages and 8 pop-up elements Full-color illustrations (including metallic gold ink) throughout.