In every time and place, various traditions, customs, and legends have developed around food. These foodways help define cultures and hold them together, since food is central to life. The foodlore of the world is especially significant to contemporary American society, since the multicultural character of the United States embraces the foodways of diverse ethnic traditions. Written especially for high school students and general readers, this book is a convenient introduction to the folklore of food. From early native American cultures to the modern influx of Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants, the book surveys the vast legacy of American foodways. The book gives special attention to the myriad foodways of the United States. In doing so, it also explores the wide range of ethnic foodlore at the heart of multicultural American society. Culturally and ethnically inclusive, it covers everything from soul food to Navaho fry bread, basic Jewish and Islamic food traditions, and Asian, Latin, and European influences on the foods of America. A chapter on definitions and classifications helps students understand the nature of foodlore. This is followed by an extensive selection of examples and texts related to the folklore of food. The volume then looks at different approaches for learning about foodlore. It then examines the role of food folklore in the works of writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and others. The volume closes with a glossary and a bibliography of print and electronic resources.

The ultimate design bible for the Victorian home, placing period features and 19th-century design in context and exploring how today’s designers are adapting these houses in innovative ways for contemporary lifestyles. With a fifth of the UK’s population living in a Victorian home, how to style and adapt these 19th-century properties to contemporary living is always on trend. While Pinterest, Instagram and magazines can offer flashes of inspiration to those looking to design their Victorian home, Victorian Modern provides in-depth information and context, not only on why Victorian houses were built and designed as they are, but also how modern designers are adapting and styling these houses in fresh and innovative ways that are sympathetic to the period, while bringing them up-to-date for the way we live today. Victorian Modern comprises seven chapters, organized according to how we use our homes: dining, cooking, entertaining, sleeping, bathing, working, along with transitional spaces (hallways, boot rooms and garden rooms). Each chapter explains how the Victorians designed and decorated these spaces, before moving on to their modern interpretations. Sprinkled throughout are practical decorating tips and information on the origins of the architectural features of the period. Combining cultural context with advice and inspiration from the homes of interior designers, architects and stylists, Victorian Modern reveals how the history and design of nineteenth-century homes can influence and inform our modern lifestyles and home decor in fresh and interesting ways.