|
|
Food History
 In the Shadow of Slavery
Judith Carney & Richard Nicholas Rosomoff
In the Shadow of Slavery examines how the African slave trade and the food produced by slaves for their own consumption in North America have had a profound influence on food today. Although African slaves tended crops for a European and North American market, the foods which they planted and cultivated for their own use; millet, okra, coffee, and watermelon, for example, became staples foods in their own right, and products like Coca-Cola, Worcestershire sauce, and Palmolive soap are reliant on the plants transported on slave ships for African communities. Hardcover, 280 pp. $29.95.
 Taste and Temptations: Food and Art in Renaissance Italy
John Varriano
Combining two formerly disparate fields of historical study; Renaissance art history, and Renaissance food histort, John Varriano examines the interplay between food and art in Renaissance Italy. Detailing the emergence of the celebrity cook, and food as art, as well as the use of food items as metaphorical signifiers in painting, and much more, this is an interesting read for fans of both Italian food and art as much as histort scholars. Hardcover, 259 pp. $31.95.
 A History of Cooks and Cooking
Michael Symons
Stratford Chef School's 2009-2010 Gastronmic Writer in Residence, and author of One Continuous Picnic, Dr. Michael Symons explores "humans as cooking animals." By relating the civilizing role of cooking throughout history, the book is a lesson in social development and the culture of sharing. Softcover, 388 pp. $36.95.
 Chocolate: A Global History
Sarah Moss
Ask a group of people what their favourite food is, chances are a good portion of them would say chocolate. This history of the ingredient details the beginnings of chocolate and it's evolution, from a staple of the mayan diet, to a luxury item for the European aristocracy, to its many modern incarnations. There are some recipes and colour photos. Hardcover, 136 pp. $15.95.
 Curry: A Global History
Colleen Taylor Sen
A very comprehensive look at the origin and popularity of Indian cooking's most famous export: the curry. This book covers basics such as what defines curry and where it came from, as well as it's evolution in other cultures such as Britain, Canada, and Australia. There book also details varieties of curries from many parts of the globe; the Indian diaspora such as the Caribbean, Africa, South East Asia, Africa, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia. Some recipes and occasional colour photos. Hardcover, 144 pp. $15.95.
 Cheese: A Global History
Andrew Dalby
A historical account of cheese and cheese varieties, as part of a series of single subject boks. There is background to cheese eating and popularity, as well as cheese making and cooking with cheese. There are some cheese recipes as well as some colour pictures. Hardcover, 136 pp. $15.95.
 Appetite City
William Grimes
Former New York Times restaurant critic William Grimes charts the culinary history of New York, from the chophouses and oyster bars which once dominated the restaurant scene, to the Bowery restaurants where a meal was a penny, and everything that has come since. The city that never sleeps is also the city that loves to eat, as this book demonstrates, and the story of food and restaurants in New York tells much more than a culinary history. Black and white photos, rare menus, and menu cards. Hardcover, 368 pp. $37.95.
 Eating History
Andrew F. Smith
Food historian and academic Andrew F. Smith here examines the history of American food and the events which led to American cuisine being what it is today. From a nation bulit on the agricultural work of settlers who for the most part grew their own food, to a culture in many ways dependent on commercial food production and addicted to the food network, Smith charts the development of this varied cuisine and the ways in which it is economically, politically, and culturally significant. Hardcover, 376 pp. $37.50.
Catching Fire
Richard Wrangham
A fascinating anthropological study of the effect of cooking on human development and civilisation. Taking leave from Darwin's theory that humans survived thanks to adaptability, Wrangham posits that learning to apply a heat source, fire, to food was the catalyst for the survival of humankind and has even influenced us today in terms of marriage and the sexual division of labour. An interesting and provocative read. Hardcover, 309 pp. $33.95.
Fireflies, Honey, and Silk
Gilbert Waldbauer
From Gilbert Waldbauer, professor of Entomology at the University of Illinois, comes this highly interesting book concerning the impact which insects have had on human life and civilisation. From the aesthetic beauty of a butterfly, the beeswax in candles, the honey on our bread and the silk in our clothes, Waldbauer chronicles the cultural, economic and aesthetic influence of insects in a book which takes in mythology, history, literature, medicine, ecology and forensics. An interesting read with some lovely black and white illustrations. Hardcover, 234 pp. $28.95.
 Squeezed
Alissa Hamilton
As the subtitle alludes 'What you don't know about orange juice' if you do drink your oj out of a carton you will switch immediately to buying oranges in their original state. Cartels, additives, you name it the oj industry is rife with intrigue. An engaging history and current state of the orange juice industry. Hardcover, 247 pp, $36.95.
 Fresh: A Perishable History
Susanne Freidberg
By tracing the development of refrigeration, the author shows both the good and bad effects of the concept of freshness , using six common foods as a filter: beef, eggs, fruit, vegetables, milk, and fish. The result is a thought-provoking examination of how human desire and hunger for freshness affects not only the balance between the local and global economy, and of the survival not only species but the planet. Black and white photos. Hardcover, 408 pp. $35.95.
 Guests or, How to Survive Hospitality: The Classic Guidebook
Russell Lynes
As Nancy Mitford did in England after World War II, Russell Lynes, managing editor of Harper’s, made a sport of dividing American society into low, middle, and high brow. Originally published in 1951, Guests captures the eternal conflict between the anticipation of pleasure and the dread of hospitality gone awry suffered by hosts and guests alike. Line drawings. Softcover, 80 pp. $12.99.
 Snobs
Russell Lynes
Subtitled The Classic Guidebook to Your Friends, Your Enemies, Your Colleagues, and Yourself, Snobs, published in 1950, just goes to show how little people change over time. Of course, technosnobs had yet to be invented. And, what would the writer have made of the politically correct? Author Russell Lynes (1910-1991) was an art historian, cultural critic, and managing editor of Harper’s. Line drawings. Softcover, 54 pp. $12.99.
 Pie: A Global History
Janet Clarkson
Like the other books in this series (Pizza, Hamburger, Pancake), Pie blends scholarly research and humor for an entertaining and informative read about a food with universal appeal. Whether the “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,”, or Canada’s seal flipper pie, almost every culture has a pie tradition. Includes a brief selection of recipes. Colour and b & w illustrations. Hardcover, 136 pp. $22.00.
 Hot Dog: A Global History
Janet Clarkson
Bruce Kraig
Few images symbolize languid summer days in North America more quickly than a photograph of a hot dog calling up, as it does, baseball, mom, apple pies…Part of the Global History series(Hamburger, Pizza, Pancake, Pie), this work is both fun and informative. Vintage photos, both colour and black and white enhance the pleasure of this small book. Hardcover, 144 pp. $22.00.
 The Apron Book
EllynAnne Geisel
Did your mother wear an apron? Odds are, that if she did, Geisel has written about the particular cut and style in this book. Learn everything you didnt realize you wanted to know about aprons from EllynAnne Geisel and find numerous patterns and methods for creating your very own. Book includes a vintage transfer pattern for a Basic Bib apron. Vintage apron collecting is fast becoming the latest thing to collect! Hardcover, 139 pp. $20.95.
 The Kitchen Linens Book
EllynAnne Geisel
A cache of household linens found in her mother-in-laws apartment moved EllynAnne Geisel to tell the story of the almost-lost world of monogrammed damask, Madeira and cutwork linens, of embroidered dresser scarves and tea towels and the women who used them. The book includes a vintage Butterick transfer pattern so you can make your own heirloom linens. Heavily illustrated. Hardcover, 145 pp. $24.50.
 The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570)
The Art and Craft of a Master Cook
translated with commentary by Terence Scully
Chef to cardinals and popes, author of the weightiest cookery book of his time, Bartolomeo Scappi left behind a record of his work that gives readers, five centuries on, a view of the culinary world of the Italian Renaissance. Descriptions of dinners featuring up to 100 dishes, kitchen equipment needed for traveling, and food for the sick offer compelling snapshots of life in the late 1500s. Scully's, (professor emeritus at Wilfred Laurier Univeristy in Waterloo), commentary puts the work in context and links the past to the present. Reproductions of the engravings which accompanied Scappi's treatise, show his kitchen and the equipment required to produce those massive meals. Hardcover, 787 pp, $95.00.
 Wild Food
Ray Mears
Though not a cookbook this is inspiring for cooks as it traces our hunter/gatherer/foraging history almost as a lost art. Chapters on Foraging, Hunting, Fungi and how the past relates to present is engaging and very readable. Hardcover, 352 pp. $45.95.
Fort Chipewyan Traditional Cookery
Fort Chipewyan Historical Society
Founded in 1788, Fort Chipewyan, Alberta’s oldest community, occupies a special place in the province’s culinary heritage. That heritage, celebrated in this book, was reliant on game. Sweet & spicy bear, caribou stew, muskrat fry, and roasted porcupine are a few of the ways to indulge your wild side. The 26 “stepping stones” scattered through the book offer cooking hints, tips to live by, and facts about Fort Chipewyan. Coil bound, 92 pp. $12.95.
 Chicken a la King & the Buffalo Wing
Steven Gilbar
As much for the language lover as the food lover. Ever wonder how certain dishes come by their name, Welsh Rarebit, Madeleines, Peach Melba? Here's the book to answer all those questions. A great stocking stuffer. Hardcover, 216 pp. $18.99.
Swindled
Bee Wilson
Swindled tells the history of bad food. Bee Wilson uncovers the many ways swindlers have cheapened, falsified, and even poisoned our food throughout history.Wilson pays attention to ninteenth-and twentieth-century America and England and their role in developing both industrial-scale food adulteration and the scientific ability to combat it.Bee Wilson writes a weekly food column for London's Sunday Telegraph. Hardcover, 384 pp. $29.95.
  Culinary Landmarks
Elizabeth Driver
A labour of love, more than twelve years in the making, Elizabeth Driver’s bibliography of Canadian cookbooks published between 1825 and 1949 offers a glimpse into the early domestic life of our country. Thought additives came along in the second half of the 20th century? Consider Parke’s Preservine. It was added to tomatoes and other canned fruits to prevent spoilage without altering the taste or colour! Then as now, women’s organizations produced many cookbooks but some of those organizations eg. the Women’s Institute are now almost extinct. In an age when home canning was a necessity, vinegar companies and the cookbooks they offered flourished. The entries are organized by province and within the province, by year. There are also sections for non-province specific, American, and British books. Ever meticulous, Driver created indexes by place-of-publication, name, and short title. This is a book to dip into for years to come and an invaluable research tool for generations to come. Hardcover, 1257 pp., $185.00.
 The Donut
Steve Penfold
The Donut began life as a PhD thesis in the history department at York University — and has the graphs and footnotes to prove it. However, more social history rather than business history, it demonstrates how the rise (so to speak) of the donut has mirrored transitions in modern Canadian life. Thought provoking, sometimes funny, often original, Steve Penfold reminds us that Tim’s is not the only donut in the country. Black & white photos. Softcover, 256 pp, $24.95.
 Sugar: A Bittersweet History
Elizabeth Abbott
A facinating history of the very popular commodity that we consume vast quantities of in our favourite foods, but know very little about. Abbott, who also penned "The History of Celibacy" discusses how sugar changed the nature of our meals, fueled the Industrial Revolution and created a massive slavery trade. The history continues to the present day, with information on our consumption levels and the current state of the sugar trade. Softcover, 450 pp. $24.00.
 The
Oxford Companion to Food
Second Edition
Alan Davidson, Tom Paine editor
The late Alan Davidson worked 20 years on the original magnum opus (1999). This
updated second edition has over 72 new entries written by writers Harold McGee
and Rachel Laudan. A serious book on food and food history. Hardcover, 907 pp.
$75.00.
 Vivo
e: The Fish Markets of Sicily
Andrea Zanfi, photographs by Gio Martorana
There is text to peruse in this book including a glossary of the
fish sold in Sicilian market stalls. However, it is really the stunning
photographs that really tell the story of Sicily’s fish markets and
the culture built up around them over the centuries. From the majolica
fish that grace the cover to the almost transparent nunnata and the
seemingly pre-historic spininess of sea urchins, this is a book breath-taking
beauty. Hardcover, 267 pp, $105.95.
 Rogues, Writers & Whores: Dining with the Rich & Infamous
Daniel Rogov
No, this is not about what Brittany Spears eats (or doesn't eat). We encounter Proust, Marquis de Sade, Esscoffier, Curnonsky, Zola, Sacher, Cardinal Richelieu to name but 69 of the worthy rogues. For example who knew Queen Elizabeth I loved sweets so much she had large pockets sewn into all of her dresses to store her beloved cookies, candies and petits fours! Hardcover, 333pp, $32.95.
 Food: the History of Taste
Edited by Paul Freedman
University of California Press doesn't publish many culinary books but when they do, what gems they are. Essays from food historians from around the world present a history of taste from earliest prehistory to the present day gastronomic landscape. Richly illustrated and beautifully designed this is must for everyone interested in the pleasure of taste. Hardcover, 368 pp. $45.95.
 Citrus
Pierre Laszlo
There are academics. There are storytellers. Rarely the twain doth meet. However, meet they do in Pierre Laszlo, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Liege and the Ecole Polytechnique. As he did earlier with Salt: Grain of Life ($22.00, pbk), Laszlo weaves together the scientific, the historical, and the cultural to bring the story of a fruit family that has worked its way into virtually every cuisine around the world. Colour photos. Hardcover, 251 pp. $25.00.
 Bitter Chocolate
Carol Off
An expose of the dark side of chocolate this is a must read for those unaware of the history and politics of chocolate and those dubious of paying extra for fair trade sweets. Off investigates the cocao trade from the original, exotic Aztec delicacy, through colonial exploitation and the slave trade, to today with cocao crops controlled by multinationals. The book also includes a critical look at the fair trade moniker and what it really means. Hardcover, 326 pp. $34.95.
One Continuous Picnic: A Gastronomic History of Australia
Michael Symons
This is a revised and expanded edition of Symons’s fascinating account
of Australia’s history as revealed through food. Erudite yet engaging,
Symon looks at the influence that various immigrant groups have had on cuisine,
the development of such iconic items as Vegemite and Pavlova, and trend towards
local eating and industry in Australia today. This edition features an expanded
bibliography and index. B & W illustrations. Softcover, 366 pp. $45.00.
 Arranging the Meal
Jean-Louis Flandrin
The order in which food is served has changed over the ages and from country to country. Traditionally social historians have considered this evolution a distinct phenomenon. Using old menus, comparisons between countries, and countries in various periods, Professor Flandrin argues that, like so many events in social history, it is a result of socio-economic factors. Copious footnotes, bibliography, and reproductions of vintage illustrations. Hardcover, 209 pp. $34.95.
 Prohibition
Edward Behr
An important and interesting look at the thirteen years of American prohibition, perhaps one of the country's greatest blunders. Behr's work, a companion piece to the A&E television special, examines the temperance movement and the outcomes of Prohibition, notably the rise in organized crime as bootlegging became essential to slake the thirst of speakeasy patrons. An especially sobering book in light of current policies designed to enforce moral behaviour, particularly the flagging war on drugs and the efforts to enact a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Black and white photographs. Softcover, 262 pp. $18.95.
 Everybody Eats There
William Stadiem & Mara Gibbs
What better way to spend your holidays than reading a book that mixes social history, culinary history, and gossip? The authors take the reader into and behind the scene of the places celebrities have made a home away from home places like New York’s Elaine’s and Balthazar, London’s Ivy and San Lorenzo, Hong Kong’s The China Club. When you are done reading, start dialing, there is a list of addresses and phone numbers in the back. A few black and white photos of the scene not the food. Hardcover, 369 pp, $33.95.
 Good Bread is Back
Steven Laurence Kaplan
An academic who has been twice knighted by the French government for contributions to "the sustenance and nourishment" of French culture, Steven Laurence Kaplan has made the history of French bread and its renaissance his avocation. Rather than merely presenting facts, Kaplan is able to evoke the sensory properties which make French bread beloved way beyond the borders of France. Colour photos of historic boulangeries. Hardcover, 368 pp, $32.95.
 The
Zen of Fish
Trevor Corson
Sushi is everywhere these days, a food fad that has become permanent. Tasty,
quick, and healthy, sushi is a global phenomenon. In this fascinating tale author
Corson (who wrote The Secret Lives of Lobsters) relates the
historical origins of sushi and its meteoric rise in popularity throughout the
Western world. Corson also follows students on the path to becoming sushi masters
and discusses the biology and natural history of the fish and seafood commonly
found on a sushi platter. Hardcover, 372 pp. $29.95.
 Cakes and Ale
Judy Spours
The Great Exhibition of 1851 and the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 book ended what could be termed Britain’s Golden Age of Gluttony. From street food to over-the-top banquets, from celebrity chefs to domestic goddesses, Judy Spours explores culinary indulgence set against a background of social strictures. Reproductions of magnificent period illustrations - many from advertisements - evoke the age. Hardcover, 176 pp. $35.00.
Back to top |
|
The Hour of the Goddess
Culinary Cultures of Europe
The Alchemist's Kitchen
Seeds of Change
Seeds of Wealth
Just Heat It 'n' Eat It
Few
Eggs
Fashionable
Food 
The
Land that Thyme Forgot 
Pleyn
Delit 
Finding
Betty Crocker 
Chocolate 
Romance
of the Mango 
Art
of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book 
Phylloxera 
Charlemagne’s
Tablecloth
Chewing
Gum 
Something
from the Oven 
A
Thousand Years Over A Hot Stove 
The Wilder Shores
of Gastronomy 
The
Last Days of Haute Cuisine: The Coming of Age of American Restaurants
Best
Thing I Ever Tasted: The Secret of Food