Reading the History of... Rum

‘Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!’

A favourite of pirates, the molasses-coloured liquid brings to mind clear blue seas and weatherbeaten sailors. But enjoyment of rum spread far beyond the scallywags of the Caribbean – Charles Dickens savoured it in punch, George Washington served it at campaign rallies, Queen Victoria sipped it in the British Navy’s grog, and Kamehameha I of Hawaii drank it straight.

Rum

A Global History

by Richard Foss

Reaktion Books, 2012

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Reading the History of... Fear of Food

There may be no greater source of anxiety for Americans today than the question of what to eat and drink. Are eggs the perfect protein, or are they cholesterol bombs?  Is red wine good for my heart or bad for my liver? Will pesticides, additives, and processed foods kill me?

Here with some very rare and very welcome advice is food historian Harvey Levenstein: Stop worrying!

Fear of Food
A History of Why We Worry about What We Eat
by Harvey A. Levenstein
University of Chicago Press, 2012

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The Book Stall Review: Doña Tomás

California chefs Dona Savitsky and Thomas Schnetz showcase dishes from the menu of "authentic Mexican cooking" that has made their restaurant -- Doña Tomás -- a pioneering success in upscale Berkeley.

More than 90 recipes are  included in this volume, divided into chapters on breakfast, lunch, salads and side, and dinner.  The opening chapter -- Básicos -- offers a primer on the ingredients, equipment and techniques of a Mexican kitchen.

Doña Tomás

Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky

Ten Speed Press, 2006

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Good Old Books: Your Health, Your Moods and the Weather

Do you have days when, without reason, you feel depressed? Have a
headache? Have trouble falling asleep?

If you blame the weather, you may be right. Experts estimate that one
person in three is "weather-sensitive."

W.S. Kals easy-to-read introduction to meteorology alerts you to the
weather conditions most likely to cause symptoms. He explains the
scientific reasons why some people can "feel a storm coming in their
bones."

Everybody talks about the weater, but W.S. Kal will help you understand,
for the first time, the many ways in which it affects your life.

Your Health, Your Moods and the Weather

by W.S. Kals

Doubleday, 1982

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Review: Pure Steak

Pick it up for the steak recipes and the large enticing color photographs, but buy it for the detailed information on how beef are bred and raised, what cuts are made, the differences between some 200 breeds, and the instructions on preparing, cooking and resting the meat.

Three young grillmasters with strikingly similar names (Steffen, Stefan and Stephan) collaborated on this tasty tome. Steffen Eichhorn won a master's title at GrillSportVerein in 2009 and is the founder of BBQ & More. Stefan Marquard leads the German punk rock grill team, the Jolly Roger Cooking Gang, and operates two restaurants in Munich as well as catering events throughout Europe. Stephan Otto, who runs the meat marking firm Otto Gourmet, authored the introductory chapter on buying and cooking beef.

Pure Steak

by Steffen Eichorn, Stefan Marquard, and Stephan Otto

Schiffer Publishing, Ltd, 2012

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Second Nature Readings: Taste Matters

The human tongue has somewhere up to eight thousand taste buds to inform us when something is sweet, salty, sour, or bitter—or as we usually think of it—delicious or revolting. Tastes differ from one region to the next, and no two people’s seem to be the same. But why is it that some people think maple syrup is too sweet, while others can’t get enough?

What makes certain people love Roquefort cheese and others think it smells like feet?

Why do some people think cilantro tastes like soap?

John Prescott tackles this conundrum in Taste Matters, an exploration of why we eat and seek out the foods that we do.

Taste Matters

Why We Like the Foods We Do 

by John Prescott

Reaktion Books, 2012

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Review ~ Natural Landscaping

Wisconsin landscape architect John Diekelmann and writer-educator Robert Schuster collaborated on the first edition of this manual on establishing natural ecosystems 20 years ago.

The updated edition expands on the importance of weed management early in the planning process and revises much of the species nomenclature to bring the book up-to-date with recent botanical research.

They also added "a concluding chapter that attempts to suggest the deep meaningfulness that can be found in restoring a piece of native landscape" their preface explains.

They profile an ongoing landscape restoration project by a rural historical society in central Wisconsin centered around a 90-year-old schoolhouse.

"Having discovered the nature of the presettlement landscape on which the community school had been located and having learned of the affection of the settlers for the landscape... members of the historical society endorsed the formal development of a design that would be a unique restoration project for the area and a meaningful memorial to the area's settlers."

Emphasizing the natural landscapes of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, Diekelmann and Schuster's book reviews basic landscaping principles,illustrates how to evaluate a site and plan for visual effect and maintenance, offers practical advice on combatting invasive plants without heavy chemical use, and  introduces native plant species for grasslands, forests, edge areas, and small wetlands.

Natural Landscaping 

Designing with Native Plant Communities 

by John Diekelmann and Robert M. Schuster 

The University of Wisconsin Press, 2003

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