Friday, December 4, 2009

Tarts and Pastries or The Book Of Tea

Tarts and Pastries

Author: Le Cordon Bleu

This collection of timeless treats, perfected in the kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu, combines classic pastry-making with fresh fruits, chocolate, chopped nuts and pastry creams to create all your dessert favorites. From the ever-popular chocolate eclair to a delicious plum-filled brioche tart, these beautifully presented dishes have been specially created to give perfect results at home.



Book review: Hepatits C or Sex as Nature Intended It

The Book Of Tea

Author: Kakuzo Okakura

In 1906 in turn-of-the century Boston, a small, esoteric book about tea was written with the intention of being read aloud in the famous salon of Isabella Gardner. It was authored by Okakura Kakuzo, a Japanese philosopher, art expert, and curator. Little known at the time, Kakuzo would emerge as one of the great thinkers of the early 20th century, a genius who was insightful, witty and greatly responsible for bridging Western and Eastern cultures.
Nearly a century later, Kakuzo's The Book of Tea is still beloved the world over. In this edition, readers are treated to Kakuzo's delicious wisdom along with evocative quadratone photographs in an exquisite new package. Interwoven with a rich history of tea and its place in Japanese society is poignant commentary on Eastern culture and our ongoing fascination with it, as well as illuminating essays on art, spirituality, poetry, and more. The Book of Tea is a delightful cup of enlightenment from a man far ahead of his time.
Author Bio: Okakura Kakuzo (1862-1913) devoted his life to teaching, art, Zen, and the preservation of Japanese art and culture, working as an ambassador, teacher, writer, and, at the time of his death, as the Curator fo Chinese and Japanese Art at the Boston Museum.

Liza Dalby has lived intermittently in Japan since she was a teenager. She is the first non-Japanese ever to have become a geisha. She received a PhD in anthropology from Stanford University in 1978 and is the author of several books, including Geisha, and the upcoming Tale of Murasaki.

Booknews

Kakuzo was a leading figure in Japanese art and culture at the end of the 19th century, and this book, first published in 1906, is a classic treatise explicating the philosophical nuances of tea and the tea ceremony in Japanese culture. This edition contains an introduction by Liza Dalby who was the first American trained as a Geisha in the 1970s, and elegant photos by Daniel Proctor. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)



Thursday, December 3, 2009

Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain or Edible Medicines

Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain

Author: H E M Cool

What were the eating and drinking habits of the inhabitants of Britain during the Roman period? Drawing on evidence from a large number of archaeological excavations, this fascinating new study shows how varied these habits were in different regions and amongst different communities and challenges the idea that there was any one single way of being Roman or native. Integrating a range of archaeological sources, including pottery, metalwork and environmental evidence such as animal bone and seeds, this book illuminates eating and drinking choices, providing invaluable insights into how those communities regarded their world. The book contains sections on the nature of the different types of evidence used and how this can be analysed. It will be a useful guide to all archaeologists and those who wish to learn about the strength and weaknesses of this material and how best to use it.



Look this: Greenback or Axiom

Edible Medicines: An Ethnopharmacology of Food

Author: Nina L Etkin

Chile pepper is used today as a flavoring, but Aztecs also applied it for toothache, sore throat, and asthma. The tonic properties of coffee have been recorded in Islamic pharmacopoeia since the eleventh century, and many peoples have used it to protect against Parkinson's disease. Although much has been documented regarding the nutritional values of foods, until recently little attention has been paid to the pharmacologic potential of diet. This book investigates the health implications of foods from the cuisines of peoples around the world to describe the place of food in health maintenance. In this wide-ranging book, Nina Etkin reveals the pharmacologic potential of foods in the specific cultural contexts in which they are used. Incorporating co-evolution with a biocultural perspective, she addresses some of the physiological effects of foods across cultures and through history while taking into account both the complex dynamics of food choice and the blurred distinctions between food and medicine. Showing that food choice is more closely linked to health than is commonly thought, she helps us to understand the health implications of people's food-centered actions in the context of real-life circumstances. Drawing on an extensive literature that transects food and culture, the history of medicine, ethnopharmacology, food history, nutrition, and human evolution, Edible Medicines demonstrates the intricate relationship between culture and nature. It will appeal to a wide range of scholars and professionals, from anthropologists to nutritionists, as well as general readers seeking a greater understanding of the medicinal aspects of food.



Table of Contents:
Ch. 1Introduction3
Ch. 2Food in the history of biomedicine44
Ch. 3Spices : the pharmacology of the exotic83
Ch. 4Fermented foods and beverages107
Ch. 5The lives of social plants134
Ch. 6Medicinal qualities of animal foods173
Ch. 7Health in the marketplace : complementary and alternative medicine, functional foods, and more204
AppSome common spices229

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Summer Pudding Club Book or Heavenly Chocolate

Summer Pudding Club Book

Author: Keith Turner

Containing 100 recipes, this book explores the delights of traditional summer desserts such as trifles and syllabubs, and their many variations. It focuses on traditional British puddings which have been tried and tested by the members of the Pudding Club.



Read also Country Classics II or The Portable Baker

Heavenly Chocolate

Author: Christine Franc

Prepare for a feast for your eyes and tastebuds with this deliciously photographed book. You'll find it hard not to eat the pages, with over 70 tempting and tantalizing recipes such as Rich Chocolate Leaf Gateau, Hot Chocolate Zabaglione and the mouth-watering and hard to resist Mississippi Mud Pie. A comprehensive techniques section explains how to melt, cook, make sauces, frosting and decorations. Give in to temptation with these amazing chocolate creations.