Using long-forgotten WPA files archived in the Library of Congress, bestselling author Mark Kurlansky paints a detailed picture of Depression Era Americans through the food that they ate and the local traditions and customs they observed when planning and preparing meals.

For centuries tortillas have been a staple of the Mexican diet, but today it crosses cultures and borders as a part of an international network of people, customs, and culinary traditions. A history of the tortilla from its roots in ancient Mesoamerica to the cross-cultural global tortilla; from the Mexican woman rolling the mano over the metate to grind corn to the enormous wheat tortillas made in northern Mexico to creations like the stuffed burrito....

Almost immediately, the Civil War transformed the way Southerners ate, devastating fields and food transportation networks. The war also spurred Southerners to canonize prewar cooking styles, resulting in cuisine that retained nineteenth-century techniques in a way other American cuisines did not. This fascinating book presents a variety of Civil War-era recipes from the South, accompanied by eye-opening essays describing this tumultuous period in...

"This book gathers together dozens of unique fruits, vegetables, fish, game, and other food products. Organized by region, each entry shines new light on American history, identity, or taste. It includes recipes inspired by these essential products, and profiles of the growers who are working to preserve them. Part history and part culinary call to action, The Ark of Taste preserves food treasures that have been passed down for generations, including...

A food and business writer examines the world of food trends, revealing where they originate and where they end and who influences them, from food company test labs and trendy food trucks to what characters are eating on our television shows.

Follow chef Marcus Samuelsson as he immerses himself in diverse immigrant communities and cuisines in cities across the US. In each hour, Marcus will travel to a different city and dive into a new food culture. He'll discover the important immigrant histories - and delicious culinary traditions - that shape the way America eats today.

"From the Smithsonian Institution, the real story of the American table in a collection of snapshots, stories, and recipes from the pre-colonial era through today, including the people and events that have often been left out. In this exploration of the American table, the Smithsonian Institution presents a fresh look at what and how we've fed ourselves, for sustenance and for pleasure, through the lens of location, immigration, ingenuity, innovation,...

"Anniversary edition of John Robbins's exposé of inhumane practices in the meat and dairy industry and argument for the ethical, health, and environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet. Includes new epilogue by the author"--