Wednesday, June 25, 2014

New Guide to The Techniques and Art of Weaving

The Techniques and Art of Weaving offers an in-depth and extensive look at the ancient art form of weaving through its history from around the world to present day and practical information and techniques for today's weaver. More than 600 images trace its origins and the types of looms and fiber available from stick to the Jacquard.

Detailed, step-by-step instructions for various techniques including warping, dressing the loom, threading, and tying are presented in an organized, clear, and concise manner.

A Basic Guide
by Marylene Brahic
Schiffer Publishing, 2014
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Here's How To...
How To Do It
Rugs and Other Floor Coverings




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Bluegrass Barbecue Lingo

from The Kentucky Barbecue Book

Bark. The darkened exterior of smoked meats, favored by lovers of smoke and big flavors. Because of greater exposure to heat, bark is drier than the interior meat.

Burgoo. An "everything by the kitchen sink" rich stew made with several meats and vegetables... found at barbecue joints in Kentucky.

Rick. A measurement of firewood stacked four feet tall by eight feet long. Kentuckians use the term loosely to name a goodly sized stack of wood.

Sassafras. A North American hardwood tree with aromatic leaves, bark, and branches. Used as a smoking wood, sassafras imparts a bold smoke flavor and dark coloration to meats.

Smoke ring. The pinkish hue imparted to smoked meats (a very good thing).

St. Louis-style ribs. The whole rib with the bony end piece (the sternum bone, cartilage, and rib tips) removed. Removing the tips can aid in uniformity of cooking, since the tips can dry out and get tough quicker than the rest of the rib.

Texas crutch. A derogatory term to describe the wrapping of beef briskets in foil to steam and tenderize them.

excerpted from:
by Wes Berry
The University Press of Kentucky, 2013
Artwork: St. Louis-style ribs
Guidebooks and How-To Titles
Outrider Reading Group
Barbecue Sauce

Monday, June 23, 2014

Now Exploring "Door Way"

Weaving a tapestry of lives and landscapes, past and present, earth and water, Norbert Blei celebrates the unique heritage of Door County, Wisconsin, a spectacular peninsula reaching into Lake Michigan.

Blei ponders the balance of nature in a place where locals, tourists, and developers vie with the native flora and fauna of forests and lakeshore.

The People in the Landscape
by Norbert Blei
University of Wisconsin Press, 2014

Book Notes Wild
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
The Nature Pages
Outrider Reading Group

Saturday, June 14, 2014

What's Cooking with Canning, Pickling, and Freezing with Irma Harding

Preserving your own food is a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle. Canning and pickling is a way of doing this. Not only do you source produce from your garden, farmer s market, or local shop, you can also ensure the preparation is wholesome and the ingredients are pure.

In this detailed guide, 1950s icon Irma Harding offers her firm guidance on how to properly prepare and preserve your own foods.

Recipes to Preserve Food, Family and the American Way
by Marilyn McCray and Michael Perry
Octane Press, 2014

Homemade Pickles
Outrider Reading Group
How to Make Jams and Jellies
Cookbooks
Book Store

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Food in America's Environmental History


Staking out American 'food history' is a promising way to change perceptions about the place and importance of the 'environment' in American history.  Food connects to the mainstream of 'American history,' and puts standard narratives in a new light: think of food and native America; establishing colonial societies; protests over tea and trade relations swirling through the American Revolution in the economic and political context of an Atlantic world; slaves growing rice and tobacco and the role of food in fighting the Civil War; the long westward conquest and the wholesale reordering of landscapes to support both a new regime of property and food production; immigration, foodways, identity, ethnicity and America as a Melting Pot; progressivism, home economics, and food reform; industrialization and corporate capitalism from Swift to Sunkist and Monsanto; the rise of tourism and consumer culture - especially consumer culture.


excerpted from:
Douglas Cazaux Sackman (Editor)
Wiley-Blackwell, 2014
Outrider Reading Group
The Nature Pages
Nature Writing and Natural Histories
History and American West Titles