At the risk of being self-serving, I’d love to mention a couple of books that are not on all the books-for-Christmas lists: A Hastiness of Cooks: A Practical Handbook for Use in Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes and Cookbooks “A remarkable volume littered with insight and a wealth of resources. Writing with warmth and … More Holidays are A’Comin’ – Break Out the Gifts
I dream of returning to Catalonia. The last time I was there, in 2010, I crossed the border between France and Spain, and ended up about 30 miles northwest of Barcelona. I stopped for lunch at a small family-run place in a town whose name I can’t remember. The waitress wouldn’t speak Spanish, and all … More Cooking Like a Catalan, No Matter Where You Are
A recipe analyzed in my upcoming book, A Hastiness of Cooks.
Patron Saint of Mexico and the Americas Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes once said that “…one may no longer consider himself a Christian, but you cannot truly be considered a Mexican unless you believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe.” Apocryphal or not, the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe makes fascinating reading. And the food’s pretty … More December 12: The Virgin of Guadalupe
“Once you have mastered a technique, you barely have to look at a recipe again.” ― Julia Child, Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking Everybody says it happens, yes. Love at first sight. Real or not? I must concur – it is true, at least for me, when it comes to … More Why I Love Cookbooks
Many writers and researchers around the world now write prodigiously on the topic that engages all of us several times a day: food. And its history. It used to be that those of us interested in the history of food found the pickings pretty slim. Of course, there was Reay Tannahill’s Food in History (1973) … More High Society Dinners: Dining in Tsarist Russia, a Model of Culinary History Methodology and Translation
Before I list my choice of books for 2013, a caveat: I have not read all of these yet. What I attempt here is to list the food and culinary history tomes that interest me (and hopefully you!), published in 2013. The descriptions of these books come from various sources, usually the publisher. That said, if … More And More Gifts: A Selection of Food and Culinary History Books Published in 2013
Today, I am happy to share something with you, a marvelous gift to the world of culinary history: Cuisine & Empire, by Rachel Laudan (University of California press, October 2013). I had the pleasure of reading some of the book while it was still in manuscript,* and that bit whetted my appetite so much that … More Cuisine & Empire: Cooking in World History, a Book You Simply Must Read