What was eating them? And vice versa. In What the Great Ate, Matthew and Mark Jacob have cooked up abountiful sampling of the peculiar culinary likes, dislikes,habits, and attitudes of famous—and often notorious—figuresthroughout history. Here is food · As code: Benito Mussolini used the phrase “we’re makingspaghetti” to inform his wife if he’d be (illegally) dueling laterthat day. · As superstition: Baseball star Wade Boggs credited his on-fieldsuccess to eating chicken before nearly every game. · In service to country: President Thomas Jefferson, America’soriginal foodie, introduced eggplant to the United States and wrotedown the nation’s first recipe for ice cream. From Emperor Nero to Bette Davis, Babe Ruth to Barack Obama, thebite-size tidbits in What the Great Ate will whet your appetite fortantalizing trivia.

From the Restaurant That Frank Sinatra Made Famous Of the thousands of restaurants in New York City, very fewwithstand the tests of time—and only one can lay claim to beingFrank Sinatra’s favorite. And where Frank went, his friendsfollowed—from close pals such as Tony Bennett and fellow RatPackers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. to the show-biz colleaguesthey brought in. Established nearly sixty years ago, Patsy’s has long been acelebrity favorite and a New York institution. Why? Great food,family friendliness, and a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feellike you’ve come home. And the fare is the classic southern Italiancuisine that’s become America’s comfort food: Mussels Arreganata,Fettuccine Alfredo, Rigatoni Sorrentino, Chicken Parmigiana, VealMarsala, Shrimp Scampi, Tiramisù . . . a greatest hits ofNeapolitan-influenced dishes. And Patsy’s Cookbook provides more than recipes: also in the mixare anecdotes from family and friends, including the occasion whenPablo

"I want my wines to tell a good story. I want them naturaland most of all, like my dear friends, I want them to speak thetruth even if we argue," says Alice Feiring. Join her as she setsoff on her one-woman crusade against the tyranny of homogenization,wine consultants, and, of course, the 100-point scoring system of acertain all-powerful wine writer. Traveling through the ancientvineyards of the Loire and Champagne, to Piedmont and Spain, shegoes in search of authentic barolo, the last old-style rioja, andthe tastiest new terroir-driven champagnes. She reveals just whatgoes into the average bottle--the reverse osmosis, the yeasts andenzymes, the sawdust and oak chips--and why she doesn’t find muchto drink in California. And she introduces rebel winemakers who areembracing old-fashioned techniques and making wines withindividuality and soul. No matter what your palate, travel the wine world with Feiringand you’ll have to ask yourself: What do I really want in myglass?

America's favorite baker, Nancy Baggett, has been on a roadtrip around the country. Now she's back, with something for everydessert lover: the best pies, cakes, puddings, crisps, cookies, icecreams, and candies in the land. Many of her discoveries werelocally famous family secretsuntil now. They include a memorablysimple blueberry buckle from a Vermont bed-and-breakfast; a coconutchiffon cake from an island off the coast of Virginia that hasbecome a "destination dessert"; a never-before-revealed recipe forchocolate-dipped caramel candies, the fund-raising specialty of thewomen of an Episcopal church in New Mexico; and a sublime peachcobbler from a cook in the Ozarks. Baggett has tested and retestedevery recipe in her home kitchen to ensure that all cooks get thesame results. She has even included a chapter on easy gifts to makewith children, from "bars in a jar" (a homemade brownie mix) tofancifully decorated graham-cracker holiday cottages. Every recipein this lavishly photographed book comes with an

For the Trigianis, cooking has always been a family affair–andthe kitchen was the bustling center of their home, where folksgathered around the table for good food, good conversation, and theoccasional eruption. Example: Being thrown out of the kitchenbecause one’s Easter bread kneading technique isn’t up to par. AsAdriana says: “When the Trigianis reach out and touch someone, wedo it with food.” Like the recipes that have been handed down forgenerations from mother to daughter and grandmother togranddaughter, the family’s celebrations are also anchored to thelife and laughter around the table. We learn how Grandmom YolandaTrigiani sometimes wrote her recipes in code, or worked frommemory, guarding her recipes carefully. And we meet Grandma LuciaBonicelli, who never raised her voice and believed that when peoplefight at the dinner table, the food turns to poison in thebody. Adriana Trigiani’s voice springs to life from the first page ofCooking with My Sisters, a collection of belove

Celebrated French chef Pierre Gagnaire offers 175 classicand yet refined recipes for everyday and special occasions, fromlazy brunches to midnight feasts. Revered for pushing theboundaries of taste and texture, Gagnaire transforms old favoriteswith a twist of originality in recipes designed for the casualcook. Four chapters include ideas for mealtimes and entertaining,from French Toast and Lemon-Rhubarb Marmalade to GrilledLine-Caught Bass to Bell Pepper Cocktails or Raspberries withParmesan. The creative recipes of this master chef will expand therepertoire of the home cook—novice or accomplished—and provide afresh, new home-dining experience

By now, you’ve heard of (and maybe tried) them all: thelow-carb diet, the grapefruit diet, the miracle diet . . . the listgoes on and on. Fad diets may promise a quick fix, but few deliverlasting results. If you’re like millions of other Americans, you’restill struggling to lose weight and get in shape—without harmingyour long-term health in the process. It’s time to leave behind the one-size-fits-all approach todieting. Now, the American Heart Association, the nation’s mosttrusted authority on heart-healthy living, introduces itsfirst-ever comprehensive weight-loss book. No-Fad Diet helpsyou create a personalized plan to lose weight in a healthful way.After a simple assessment of your current habits, you choose theeating and exercise strategies that best fit your needs. You’lllearn how to set realistic goals, eat well to lose extra poundssafely, and add physical activity to keep the weight off forgood. This book offers more than 190 delicious, all-new recipes,including Cream of Triple-Mush

From the legendary editor who helped shape modern cookbookpublishing-one of the food world's most admired figures-comes thisevocative and inspiring memoir. Living in Paris after World War II, Jones broke free of blandAmerican food and reveled in everyday French culinary delights. Onreturning to the States she published Julia Child's Mastering theArt of French Cooking. The rest is publishing and gastronomichistory. A new world now opened up to Jones as she discovered, withher husband Evan, the delights of American food, publishing some ofthe premier culinary luminaries of the twentieth century: fromJulia Child, James Beard, and M.F.K. Fisher to Claudia Roden, EdnaLewis, and Lidia Bastianich. Here also are fifty of Jones'sfavorite recipes collected over a lifetime of cooking-each with itsown story and special tips. The Tenth Muse is an absolutelycharming memoir by a woman who was present at the creation of theAmerican food revolution and played a pivotal role in shapingit.

Now in paperback–the debut cookbook from the beloved Italiancook, restaurateur, and public television personality. Lidia Bastianich is famous for her Italian-American cooking, butthis cookbook–her first–captures the distinctive cuisine of hernative Istria, located on Italy’s northeastern Adriatic coast nearthe border of the former Yugoslavia. This book is also her mostpersonal; in addition to the recipes, she has included numerouspersonal stories, memories, and photographs from herchildhood. With La Cucina di Lidia, you can savor antipasti such as Polentawith Fontina and Mushrooms or Shrimp and Mixed Bean Salad. Rice andpastas include Plum Gnocchi, Risotto with Squash Blossoms, andZucchini and Tagliatelle with Leek Sauce. Entrées feature fish(Swordfish in Sweet and Sour Sauce), fowl (Roast Chicken withRosemary and Orange), meat (Stuffed Breast of Veal), and game (DuckRoasted with Sauerkraut). Desserts range from Chocolate ZabaglioneCake to Apple-Custard Tart. Here is an Itali

Having your friends over is no big deal when you have theperfect recipe, one that's not only foolproof but simple and thatfits into your hectic schedule. In her new cookbook, Pam Andersonshares nearly 200 perfectly convenient dishes, including * LacyCheddar Crisps -- An irresistible one-ingredient hors d'oeuvre,ready in 10 minutes. * Oven-Barbecued Pork -- Slow-cooked for 10 to12 hours. You literally make this one in your sleep. * Creamy BakedMacaroni and Cheese -- When kids are coming, why not serve the bestversion of their favorite? * Shish Kebabs -- Satisfy every guest,from vegetarians to carnivores, in the same meal. Six excitingflavoring pastes offer all the variety you need. * Easy BakedRisotto -- Elegant and effortless, with many sumptuous variations,including seafood and vegetarian. You socialize while it cooks. *Orange-Glazed Asparagus -- One of the most versatile side dishesimaginable. Ready in 8 relaxed minutes. * Molten Chocolate Cakes --15 minutes to oozy decadence. Every recipe comes with

Salmonella-tainted tomatoes, riots, and skyrocketing pricesare only the latest in a series of food-related crises that haveilluminated the failures of the modern food system. In "The End ofFood, "Paul Roberts investigates this system and presents astartling truth--how we make, market, and transport our food is nolonger compatible with the billions of consumers the system wasbuilt to serve. The emergence of large-scale and efficient foodproduction forever changed our relationship with food andultimately left a vulnerable and paradoxical system in place.High-volume factory systems create new risks for food-borneillness; high-yield crops generate grain, produce, and meat ofdeclining nutritional quality; and while nearly a billion peopleare overweight, roughly as many people are starving. In this vividnarrative, Roberts presents clear, stark visions of the future andhelps us prepare to make the necessary decisions to survive thedemise of food production as we know it.

What's the secret to making foolproof friands? How do you bakethe perfect piped cookie dough pinwheel? And what puts the snap inthe very best ginger snaps? Find out in "Field Guide to Cookies", ahandy pocket reference to more than 100 cookie recipes, completewith the fascinating historical background (the first known recipefor brownies was published in the 1897 Sears, Roebuck Catalogue),season (April 9 is Chinese Almond Cookie Day), and helpful bakingnotes for each delicious variety, from traditional favourites tomore exotic concoctions from all over the world. Including drop,bar, piped, rolled, puffed, sandwich, savoury, and mouldedvarieties, every cookie is illustrated in glorious full colour,with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare, bake, serve, andstore your creations. Gooey, delicious, home-baked confections arejust minutes away with "Field Guide to Cookies" in your pantry!

BBQ-joint owner Lulu Taylor knows pretty much everyone inMemphis who loves ribs. But one person she'd rather not know isTristan Pembroke, a snooty pageant coach with a mean streak. Whenshe finds Tristan's dead body stuffed in a closet at a party, thepolice are suspicious- especially since Lulu's developed a tastefor being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Caught in asituation stickier than molasses, Lulu must clear her name, or riskgetting fried...

James Beard was the "dean of American cookery" ( New YorkTimes ), and he put practically everything he learned aboutcooking into this single magnificent--now classic--cookbook. JAMESBEARD'S AMERICAN COOKERY includes more than fifteen hundred of hisfavorite and most successful recipes, as well as advice on dozensof cooking questions, from choosing meats and vegetables topreserving fruit and making real cheeseburgers. Acelebration of the roots of cooking in the American style, thisrepackaged edition features the original text and colorillustrations, and a new foreword by Tom Colicchio. Like Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Joy ofCooking , it is a standard reference no kitchen is completewithout.

As the chef and owner of the acclaimed Blue Ginger restaurantin Wellesley, Massachusetts, and an Emmy award-winning televisionpersonality, Ming Tsai has become the standard-bearer of East-Westcuisine, the innovative blending of Eastern flavors and techniqueswith Western ingredients and presentations. Now, in Simply Ming, he presents a breakthrough technique forbringing East-West flair to everyday cooking, making it possible totransform a handful of fresh ingredients into a delicious meal in amatter of minutes. The genius of Simply Ming is a versatile arrayof master recipes—intensely flavored sauces, pestos, salsas,dressings, rubs, and more that eliminate much of the last-minuteprep work. So sophisticated dishes such as Tea-Rubbed Salmon withSteamed Scallion-Lemon Rice, Grilled Miso-Citrus Scallop Lollipops,and Green Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin with Vinegar-Glazed Leeks canbe on the table in less than 30 minutes. Even casual dishes such as spaghetti, burgers, fried calamari,and chicken wing

Spago's pastry chef to the stars and author of the James BeardAward-winning Secrets of Baking shares the recipes that propelledher to the top of her profession Night after night at Spago inBeverly Hills, Sherry Yard dazzles the powerful, rich, and famouswith incredible desserts. Her marvelous confections have won overpatrons from Madonna to Frank Sinatra. Now the country's premierpastry chef reveals the recipes that have made her a star in herown right and won her two coveted James Beard Awards. Desserts bythe Yard begins with inspirations from Yard's childhood, such as MyFavorite White Birthday Cake with Chocolate and Butter FudgeFrosting, and culminates in the spectacular creations she makesevery year for the Academy Awards. Included here are some of Yard'smost famous recipes: the slinky crcme brulee she perfected when sheworked at New York's Rainbow Room, the coffeecake that made CamptonPlace Hotel San Francisco's most popular breakfast spot, and thesouffleed crcme fraiche pancakes with strawberry sauce s

The Surprising Power of Family Meals is the first book to takea complete look at a ritual that was virtually universal ageneration ago but has undergone a striking transformation. Nolonger honored by society as a time of day that must be set aside,some families see family supper as little more than a quaint relic.But others are beginning to recognize it as a lifeline – a way toconnect with their loved ones on a regular basis and to get moreenjoyment out of family life. The Surprising Power of Family Mealspresents stories, studies, and arguments from the fields ofpsychology, education, nutrition, family therapy, anthropology,sociology, linguistics, and religion. It provides examples offamilies and communities around North America responding creativelyto the pressures of a 24/7 world to share strategies for takingwhat is best from our past and transforming it to meet currentneeds.