American Food: A Not-So-Serious History

by Rachel Wharton, Kimberly Ellen Hall (Illustrator)

A clever and whimsical illustrated history of 26 iconic American foods, from Ambrosia to Zucchini Bread

This captivating and surprising tour of America’s culinary canon celebrates the variety, charm, and occasionally dubious lore of the foods we love to eat, as well as the under-sung heroes who made them. Every chapter, organized from A to Z, delves into the history of a classic dish or ingredient, most so common we take them for granted. These distinctly American foods, from Blueberries and Fortune Cookies to Pepperoni, Hot Wings, Shrimp and Grits, Queso, and yes, even Xanthan Gum, have rich and complex back stories that are often hidden in plain sight, lost to urban myth and misinformation. American A Not-So-Serious History digs deep to tell the compelling tales of some of our most ordinary foods and what they say about who we are—and who, perhaps, we are becoming.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Cooking, Food

176 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2019

Reviews

[Lama Hussein]

3.5
جيد على غير المتوقع
أحببت فيه كتابة التاريخ من خلال الوصفات وليس خلال الزمن مثل كتب أخرى
وأحببت فيه إيجازه وذكره للآراء المختلفة أحيانا دون الجزم حتى
اندمجت أكثر مع الأشياء التي أعرفها، الكاتشاب والخردل فقط الحمد لله، الدونت قليلا أيضا والبعض هنا وهناك لكن معظمه أشياء لم أسمع بها
المشكلة أنني قرأته على قارئ إلكتروني فكانت الصور بالأسود والأبيض والآن بعد أن رأيت الغلاف أتمنى لو قرأته على التلفون

[Kate]

This book is just plain foodie fun! Recommend for all those looking to brush up on culinary history one letter of the alphabet at a time

[Sean]

This is a fantastic little book about the history of American food.

I loved learning the history of the donut — I mean seriously, who knew there would be a hole history (pardon the pun) there... Rachel found out from researcher, Alexis Iammarino, that the first mass-produced donut cutter was invented in 1872. Iammarino is considered one of the greatest living experts on American donut history — what a title, eh?

I like the recipes that are sprinkled throughout - I’ll take a serving of the Red’s ham and cheese hoagie please.

It was also interesting to learn about foods that I knew nothing about, like vinegar pie, also known as desperation pie. It actually sounds pretty good, and there’s a recipe for one in the book, too, so I might give it a go sometime.

Learning about the origins of xanthan gum was cool, because I use it a lot at home for gluten-free baking. According to the book, xanthan gum was discovered in the 50s at the research center for the US Department of Agriculture.

This book does a really deep dive into the history of each chosen food, and I absolutely adore the illustrations by Kimberly Ellen Hall, that accompany each one. When I first saw the book, I assumed it would be more concise, much more of an overview with not a lot of info, but I was surprised, I actually learned way more than I expected and that’s pretty sweet. I think Rachel and Kimberly did a fantastic job.

Avocado Diaries

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews]

This is a book that will teach you something new about the foods that have been in your life for decades but you just didn't know the full story.

The authors chose food that has made an impact on our culture from each letter of the alphabet.

Each food that was chosen for this book was deeply researched and it was fascinating to read the history because let's face it, we don't think about how foods came into our culture or our homes growing up.

I have to point out that the letter L is for lunchbox and not an actual food but what memories that brings to mind.  I remember taking my Uncle's lunchbox to school, a thinner green metal box and I loved that lunchbox!

I have really enjoyed reading this book and marveling at the amount of history packed into this gem of a book.  If you have kids that need to do a fun school project regarding food, this book might give them a jump start.  The authors did a wonderful job of documenting their facts and notated when some was speculation.

The book does have some recipes in it that a reader can test out.  I know of some other bloggers tied to Abrams Dinner Party that tried the Vinegar Pie and the Upside Down Cake.

This book is a lot of fun and I highly suggest checking it out and learning some fun facts about various foods.

We give this book 5 paws up!

[Lama]

3.5
جيد على غير المتوقع
أحببت فيه كتابة التاريخ من خلال الوصفات وليس خلال الزمن مثل كتب أخرى
وأحببت فيه إيجازه وذكره للآراء المختلفة أحيانا دون الجزم حتى
اندمجت أكثر مع الأشياء التي أعرفها، الكاتشاب والخردل فقط الحمد لله، الدونت قليلا أيضا والبعض هنا وهناك لكن معظمه أشياء لم أسمع بها
المشكلة أنني قرأته على قارئ إلكتروني فكانت الصور بالأسود والأبيض والآن بعد أن رأيت الغلاف أتمنى لو قرأته على التلفون

[Darren]

This was such a fun read for anyone who loves cooking, eating, and the stories behind America’s iconic foods and restaurants. It’s packed with fascinating history, beautiful photos, and the kind of book you’ll find yourself pulling off the shelf again and again whenever you want to learn something new.

[Susan Lindquist]

Fun book ! Sometimes kitschy, sometimes dead serious food history, and even a few recipes thrown in. I'm planning to try the Orange Julius fake it recipe and the Queso recipe with poblanos and plum tomatoes.

[Ebot]

A really fun and interesting read!

[Nancym]

A quick and fun read about the history of popular American foods. It has a really good bibliography for food research.

[Ronald Koltnow]

Catnip for history and food lovers. An A-Z listing of popular foods and their origins.

[Leslie]

I like reading about food, and I like reading about context. So I liked this book.

[Jennifer]

Purchased on a whim at the Smithsonian. Delightful with lovely illustrations. If you like to read cookbooks and food history, have fun.