Showing titles in Gastronomy

Delve into this captivating collection of the world's 75 most iconic menus which reveal not just the story of food, but periods of history, famous works of literature, notable events, and celebrity figures from prehistoric times up to the modern day. This fascinating miscellany of menus from around the world will educate, as well as entertain, delighting both avid foodies and the general listener.

Though a relatively young country, Italy’s culinary identity has been simmering for centuries, shaped by a shared gastronomic culture. From the dormice and garum of the Roman Empire to the heresy of pineapple pizza, A Bite-Sized History of Italy traces this legacy, offering a delicious romp through millennia of culinary tradition and transformation.

'A beautifully written celebration of food, home, and above all, family' - Jamie Oliver 'So charming and beautiful' - Gwyneth Paltrow 'The most delicious kind of memoir' - The Times Stories and recipes from growing up as the daughter of revered chef/restaurateur Alice Waters: food, family, and...

In Fermentation as Metaphor, stemming from his personal obsession with all things fermented, Katz meditates on his art and work, drawing connections between microbial communities and aspects of human culture: politics, religion, social and cultural movements, art, music, sexuality, identity, and even our individual thoughts and feelings. He informs his arguments with his vast knowledge of the fermentation process, which he describes as a slow, gentle, steady, yet unstoppable force for change.

America is more than just a fast food nation. Food Americana is the inside story of how generations of Americans have formed a national cuisine with tastes from all over the world. Fried chicken was a distinctly Southern dish - now it's the Sunday night special at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Hollywood. A Utah restaurant won Maine's annual Best Lobster Roll competition. And perhaps the ultimate all-American dish, pizza, is served up in 30 different styles, a total of three billion pies a year, an average of 23 pounds for each of us.

A culinary memoir that brings to life some of the most fascinating, glamorous food years in France and reveals gastronomical treasures from gifted artisans of the French countryside. From small cafes in Paris to Normandy, Alsace, the Basque country, and beyond, Dryansky takes us on a sweeping sensory journey, with a voice as thoughtful as Kingsolver, as entertaining as Bourdain, and as cogent and critical as Pollan.

The definition of 'healthy eating' has been chewed up, spat out and re-digested enough times to make Joe Public give up and seek out their nearest branch of McDonald's. Our mindless obsession with eating 'right' is such that we're now more concerned about what our Instagram followers think of a poorly lit picture of our dinner than we are of its effect on our own palate. Or, indeed, our happiness. We seem to be living in a time where we no longer eat with our hearts, emotions or heritage - but with what our waistlines (and followers) in mind.

Did you know that your morning coffee could be thanks to a herd of energetic goats? Or that a forgotten ingredient is behind the invention of the beloved brownie? Who got the fright of their life discovering corn could pop? And which popular soft drink first started out as a medicinal syrup? In Serendipity, Oscar Farinetti, founder of the high-end global food chain Eataly, shares fifty remarkable stories of how some of the greatest successes and examples of excellence in the food world came about by chance.

The oyster is one of Earth's oldest animals, and fossil records show humans have enjoyed them for hundreds of thousands of years. But like so many other creatures, wild oysters were driven to near extinction by overconsumption and pollution. The Clean Water Act marked a turning point for water...

A comprehensive, practical introduction to the often misunderstood world of olive oil—with recipes for appetizers, pasta, sauces, and desserts—from the founders and producers of the acclaimed EXAU Olive Oil brand. Humans have produced and enjoyed olive oil for thousands of years, but...

Prepare to unearth the hidden truths of whiskey history in Whiskey Lore: Volume One, a groundbreaking exploration of 24 popular whiskey myths that have shaped our understanding of the world’s great spirits. With meticulous research and a talent for captivating storytelling, Drew Hannush takes listeners on a journey through the forgotten corners of whiskey’s past, shedding light on the stories that are too often oversimplified or misunderstood.

This classic follows coffee's journey around the world, from London to Brazil, telling in fascinating detail and amusing anecdote the singular history of the legendary commodity - from the discovery that chewing on the beans were keeping goats awake in Yemen to the author's own experiences with the bean in 1935.

Food historian and chef Neil Buttery takes the listener on a journey exploring the creation, evolution and cultural importance of some of our most beloved baked foods, whether they be fit for a monarch's table, or served from the bakestone of a lowly farm labourer. This book charts innovations, happy accidents and some of the most downright bizarre baked foods ever created.

A celebrated food writer's expansive, audacious excavation of the development of modern queer identity and food culture.

In this poignant, delicious memoir, American tax preparer and food writer Steve Hoffman tells the story of how he and his family move to the French countryside, where the locals upend everything he knows about food, wine, and learning how to belong. Steve Hoffman is a perfectly comfortable...

Where can you read about a monstrous cheese big enough to hold a girl of 13 inside? Or that the invention of the bicycle directly, and poorly, impacted sales of cheddar? Or that some of the first cheese makers hid gold coins inside their wheels of dairy as a sales tool? Brethren, the writer...

Learn to make artisan pizza the American way in this ultimate guide to the perfect pie from the creator of "the best pizza in New York" (New York Times). Pizza is simple: dough, sauce, cheese, toppings. But inside these ordinary ingredients lies a world of extraordinary possibility. Dan Richer...

Ultimately, this is a story audiobook with food in it. Valentine Warner presents a collection of personal stories, seasoned with recipes, to listen and make in both happy and troubled times; an audiobook of "comfort" food in the truest sense of the word. From the aching simplicity of toast with butter to the isolation of cooking for one and the pleasure of returning to heart-warming wholesome slow-roasts, one-pot suppers and more - this audiobook is about enjoyment, grief, restlessness, disasters, and success.

For more than 10,000 years, humans have been fascinated by a seemingly innocuous plant with bright-colored fruits that bite back when bitten. Ancient New World cultures from Mexico to South America combined these pungent pods with every conceivable meat and vegetable. In Chile Peppers: A Global History, Dave DeWitt, a world expert on chiles, travels from New Mexico across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia chronicling the history, mystery, and mythology of chiles around the world and their abundant uses in 70 mouth-tingling recipes. 

A true celebration of food in all its forms, The Food Book follows the human quest for sustenance through the stories of individual ingredients, and examines our millenia-long relationship with nearly 200 foods - from nuts and seeds to noodles and meat - with the help of tales from all over the world. Packed with glorious stories that surprise and enthral, this is the ultimate feast for foodies, a global smorgasbord packed with unforgettable tales and eye-opening facts.