Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way through Great Books


Cara Nicoletti - 2015
    Now a butcher, cook, and talented writer, she serves up stories and recipes inspired by beloved books and the food that gives their characters depth and personality. From the breakfast sausage in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods to chocolate cupcakes with peppermint buttercream from Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, these books and the tasty treats in them put her on the road to happiness. Cooking through the books that changed her life, Nicoletti shares fifty recipes, including:* The perfect soft-boiled egg in Jane Austen's Emma* Grilled peaches with homemade ricotta in tribute to Joan Didion's "Goodbye to All That"* New England clam chowder inspired by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick* Fava bean and chicken liver mousse crostini (with a nice Chianti) after Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs* Brown butter crêpes from Gillian Flynn's Gone GirlBeautifully illustrated, clever, and full of heart, Voracious will satisfy anyone who loves a fantastic meal with family and friends-or curling up with a great novel for dessert.

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust


William Alexander - 2010
    He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.   An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth, and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread.

The Disney Story: Chronicling the Man, the Mouse, & the Parks


Aaron H. Goldberg - 2016
    From Mickey Mouse’s debut at the Colony Theatre in November 1928 to the opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016—and everything in between—finally, the world’s greatest storyteller has their story told!In addition to reliving Disney’s most memorable moments, there are numerous interesting and lesser-known stories that will expand your Disney knowledge and give you a fresh perspective on your favorite Disney topic.Perhaps you’re familiar with some of the Disney milestones covered in the book, but how about a few other notable stories:•  Have you ever heard of Disney by the Sea? This was the working name for the ninety-two-acre beachfront tract of land east of Walt Disney World. Disney purchased the property in the early 1970s with the intention of offering a beach experience for those visiting Walt Disney World.•  Have you ever wondered about the story behind those legendary Mickey ears that millions of people wear at the Disney parks? Who invented them?•  Which four movies did the minds at Pixar sketch out on paper napkins during one lunch in the summer of 1994? These movies turned out to be some of the studio’s greatest hits.•  Did you know that in 1937 at the Hollywood premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the movie stars of the day paid over five dollars to see the film?•  What role did Disney’s Silly Symphonies play in the movie The Wizard of Oz?•  How did a group of legendary Disney animators become known as the Nine Old Men?•  Did you know that during the 1990s, Disney was going to sponsor the country’s first nationwide lottery?•  Ever hear of Mickey’s Kitchen? It was Disney’s healthy fast-food restaurant experiment.•  Whatever happened to Disney’s America—the theme park Disney planned for Virginia in the 1990s?•  Which holiday had Japan never celebrated until Disney introduced it at their theme park?•  Which A-list movie star turned down a role in Toy Story? He later accepted a monster of a role a few years later.•  Which world leader was supposedly buried with his Mickey Mouse watch?•  Why was the FBI interested in EPCOT’s World Showcase after it debuted?The Disney Story is more than just a timeline of Disney events and a collection of interesting stories such as the ones above. It’s a vehicle and guidebook that can be used to travel back in time and read about your favorite Disney subjects via an interactive bibliography on the book’s companion website.Disney’s ninety-year journey is all here in one volume, complete with informative stories and tidbits about the theme parks, movies, and Walt himself. Revel in the remarkable innovations and legendary Disney magic that make the company the premiere name in entertainment today.

The National Trust Book of Scones: 50 Delicious Recipes and Some Curious Crumbs of History


Sarah Clelland - 2017
    Eccentric owners, strange treasures, obscure facts—it's all here. Whip up a Triple Chocolate Scone while you read about the mechanical elephants at Waddeston Manor, savor an Apple & Cinnamon Scone while you absorb the dramatic love life of Henry Cecil of Hanbury Hall, or marvel at a Ightham Mote's Grade 1 listed dog kennel while you savor a Cheese, Spring Onion and Bacon Scone. 50 of the best scones in history and 50 of the best places to read about—you’ll never need to leave the kitchen again. Includes dual measures.

The Walt Disney World That Never Was: Stories Behind the Amazing Imagineering Dreams That Never Came True


Christopher E. Smith - 2016
    Want to join them? This is your guidebook to the theme park that Disney never built.In this unique, extensively researched book, Christopher Smith discusses the many attractions, shows, and resorts that were planned for Walt Disney World, from opening day to the present day, but that exist only in the minds of Imagineers.You'll find old "favorites" such as Thunder Mesa and Beastly Kingdom, as well as those lost to the pixie dust of time, like Dick Tracy's Crime Stoppers, the Enchanted Snow Palace, and Buffalo Junction. Smith looks at the politics and internal struggles behind the decision to shelve each concept, and imagines what guests might have experienced.Every park at Walt Disney World—Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios—has its hidden cache of "lost" attractions. They're all here, along with the many resort hotels that Disney intended to build, but didn't.Put aside those guidebooks of the Walt Disney World that is, and come to a vacation kingdom that you can visit only if you find the second star to the right and then keep straight on till morning.

Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine


Sarah Lohman - 2016
    But a young historical gastronomist named Sarah Lohman discovered that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. Lohman sets out to explore how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table. Eight Flavors introduces the explorers, merchants, botanists, farmers, writers, and chefs whose choices came to define the American palate.

Dirt: Adventures, with Family, in the Kitchens of Lyon, Looking for the Origins of French Cooking


Bill Buford - 2020
    Baffled by the language, but convinced that he can master the art of French cooking--or at least get to the bottom of why it is so revered-- he begins what becomes a five-year odyssey by shadowing the esteemed French chef Michel Richard, in Washington, D.C. But when Buford (quickly) realizes that a stage in France is necessary, he goes--this time with his wife and three-year-old twin sons in tow--to Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. Studying at L'Institut Bocuse, cooking at the storied, Michelin-starred La Mère Brazier, enduring the endless hours and exacting rigeur of the kitchen, Buford becomes a man obsessed--with proving himself on the line, proving that he is worthy of the gastronomic secrets he's learning, proving that French cooking actually derives from (mon dieu!) the Italian.

Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever


Bruce Gordon - 2005
    Rewind your Mickey Mouse watch back to the 1950s and travel with us through the decades as the wondrous story of Disneyland unfolds via fascinating, behind-the-pixie dust stories and incredible imagery. Like a visit to the park itself, it's a trip you'll never forget, ensuring that the spirit of Disneyland will remain--then, now, and forever. Filled with color photos of how the park looked at its opening and through the changes of the years up to the present day in 2005.

Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical


Anthony Bourdain - 2001
    That is until 1904, when the disease broke out in a household in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Authorities suspected the family cook, Mary Mallon, of being a carrier. But before she could be tested, the woman, soon to be known as Typhoid Mary, had disappeared. Over the course of the next three years, Mary worked at several residences, spreading her pestilence as she went. In 1907, she was traced to a home on Park Avenue, and taken into custody. Institutionalized at Riverside Hospital for three years, she was released only when she promised never to work as a cook again. She promptly disappeared.For the next five years Mary worked in homes and institutions in and around New York, often under assumed names. In February 1915, a devastating outbreak of typhoid at the Sloane Hospital for Women was traced to her. She was finally apprehended and reinstitutionalized at Riverside Hospital, where she would remain for the rest of her life.Typhoid Mary is the story of her infamous life. Anthony Bourdain reveals the seedier side of the early 1900s, and writes with his renowned panache about life in the kitchen, uncovering the horrifying conditions that allowed the deadly spread of typhoid over a decade. Typhoid Mary is a true feast for history lovers and Bourdain lovers alike.

Mary Berry's Cookery Course


Mary Berry - 1991
    Let Mary take you from new cook to good cook or from good cook to great cook with Mary Berry's Cookery Course. With delicious recipes from soups, starters and mains to bread, puddings and cakes, you can master the foundations of cooking and build your culinary repertoire under the guidance of Mary Berry. You can learn how to cook Mary Berry's favourite recipes with ease and find out how Mary gets her roast chicken skin so crispy and how she ensures her apple pie doesn't have a "soggy bottom". Perfect the basics of cooking with 12 classic 'master recipes' such as leek and potato soup, chargrilled salmon fillets and Victoria sandwich cake with step-by-step instructions. Then cook your way to success with over 100 fail-safe recipes with photographs of each finished dish so you know what you're aiming for each time. Mary also offers advice on ingredients and how to keep a well-stocked pantry as well as teaching kitchen techniques such as whipping egg whites to guarantee perfect results every time. Mary Berry's Cookery Course is perfect for all home cooks who want to learn to cook 'the Mary Berry way'.

The Little Paris Kitchen


Rachel Khoo - 2012
    Six years later, she still lives and works in Paris, cooking up a selection of classic French dishes from all over the country and giving them a fresh makeover with her own modern twists. From a Croque Madame muffin and the classic Boeuf bourguignon, to a deliciously fragrant Provencal lavender and lemon roast chicken, Rachel celebrates the culinary landscape of France as it is today and shows how simple these dishes are.The 120 recipes in the book range from easy, everyday dishes like Omelette Pipérade, to summer picnics by the Seine and afternoon 'goûter' (snacks), to meals with friends and delicious desserts including classics like Crème brulee and Tarte tatin. It's a book that celebrates the very best of French home-cooking in a modern and accessible way. Real French food is no longer something only served in fancy restaurants; Rachel will show how you can add a little French culinary touch to your everyday life at home, no matter where you are in the world, or how big your kitchen is!

The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats


Daniel Stone - 2018
    But as a new century approached, appetites broadened, and David Fairchild, a young botanist with an insatiable lust to explore and experience the world, set out in search of foods that would enrich the American farmer and enchant the American eater.Kale from Croatia, mangoes from India, and hops from Bavaria. Peaches from China, avocados from Chile, and pomegranates from Malta. Fairchild's finds weren't just limited to food: From Egypt he sent back a variety of cotton that revolutionized an industry, and via Japan he introduced the cherry blossom tree, forever brightening America's capital. Along the way, he was arrested, caught diseases, and bargained with island tribes. But his culinary ambition came during a formative era, and through him, America transformed into the most diverse food system ever created.

American Cake: From Colonial Gingerbread to Classic Layer, the Stories and Recipes Behind More Than 125 of Our Best-Loved Cakes


Anne Byrn - 2016
    Be they vanilla, lemon, ginger, chocolate, cinnamon, boozy, Bundt, layered, marbled, even checkerboard--they are etched in our psyche. Cakes relate to our lives, heritage, and hometowns. And as we look at the evolution of cakes in America, we see the evolution of our history: cakes changed with waves of immigrants landing on ourshores, with the availability (and scarcity) of ingredients, with cultural trends and with political developments. In her new book American Cake, Anne Byrn (creator of the New York Times bestselling series The Cake Mix Doctor) will explore this delicious evolution and teach us cake-making techniques from across the centuries, all modernized for today’s home cooks.Anne wonders (and answers for us) why devil’s food cake is not red in color, how the Southern delicacy known as Japanese Fruit Cake could be so-named when there appears to be nothing Japanese about the recipe, and how Depression-era cooks managed to bake cakes without eggs, milk, and butter. Who invented the flourless chocolate cake, the St. Louis gooey butter cake, the Tunnel of Fudge cake? Were these now-legendary recipes mishaps thanks to a lapse of memory, frugality, or being too lazy to run to the store for more flour?Join Anne for this delicious coast-to-coast journey and savor our nation's history of cake baking. From the dark, moist gingerbread and blueberry cakes of New England and the elegant English-style pound cake of Virginia to the hard-scrabble apple stack cake home to Appalachia and the slow-drawl, Deep South Lady Baltimore Cake, you will learn the stories behind your favorite cakes and how to bake them.

The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream


Sam Gennawey - 2013
    Despite his successors' battles with the whims of history and their own doubts and egos, Walt’s vision maintained momentum, thrived, and taught future generations how to do it Walt Disney's way.

Cake


Rachel Allen - 2012
    It’s her fail-safe recipes, with easy-to-follow methods, thoughtful tips and advice that have been helping her readers over the years to make the most gorgeous cakes and bakes that work every time. Sponges, muffins, brownies, pop cakes, cheesecakes, tortes, pudding cakes, whether they are indulgent or healthy(ish), chocolaty, nutty or fruity, sweet or savoury, or gluten-free, you’ll find them all in this ultimate cake bible.Try classics such as Victoria Sponge and Carrot Cake, new bakes like Beetroot Brownies or White Chocolate and Macadamia cake, festive treats such as Caramel Yule Log or a St Patrick’s Day Guinness Cake as well as every day cakes like Raspberry Bakewell Cake or Butterscotch Banana Cake. Cake for grown-ups such as the Orange Cake with Campari Icing or children’s party favourite Cake Pops. Cakes for when you have no time as well as more adventurous wedding and birthday cakes.Rachel will show you how to bake and decorate simple special occasion cakes, then give additional instruction for making it special – or even of professional quality. Whether it is a golden anniversary, wedding or 4th birthday party, you’ll never have to buy a cake again.In this comprehensive collection you’ll find a mix of delicious easy and everyday cakes, teatime treats, classics, festive baking, hearty puddings and even some free-from and healthier cakes. And when you’ve finished baking, Rachel will show you the best tips and tricks for decorating and icing.The wait is over! Enjoy more baking from Rachel Allen in Cake.