Thursday, October 13, 2016

Reading the History: The Baker Massacre

On the morning of January 23, 1870, troops of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry attacked a Piegan Indian village on the Marias River in Montana Territory, killing many more than the army’s count of 173, most of them women, children, and old men. The village was afflicted with smallpox. Worse, it was the wrong encampment. Intended as a retaliation against Mountain Chief’s renegade band, the massacre sparked public outrage when news sources revealed that the battalion had attacked Heavy Runner’s innocent village—and that guides had told its inebriated commander, Major Eugene Baker, he was on the wrong trail, but he struck anyway. Remembered as one of the most heinous incidents of the Indian Wars, the Baker Massacre has often been overshadowed by the better-known Battle of the Little Bighorn and has never received full treatment until now.

Author Paul R. Wylie plumbs the history of Euro-American involvement with the Piegans, who were members of the Blackfeet Confederacy. His research shows the tribe was trading furs for whiskey with the Hudson’s Bay Company before Meriwether Lewis encountered them in 1806. As American fur traders and trappers moved into the region, the U.S. government soon followed, making treaties it did not honor.

The Baker Massacre
by Paul R. Wylie
University of Oklahoma Press, 2016

Out of the Past
Book List
History and American West Titles

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

A New Guide To... Fermentation & Home Brewing.

People everywhere are rejecting industrial food to produce their own—and fermentation is at the zenith of this movement. It is slow food at its slowest; optimizes nutritional health; and confers unique flavors and textures.

This mouthwatering survey presents a world of recipes for fermented foods and beverages to make at home, from bread and beer to ketchup, kombucha, and kimchi. Featuring tantalizing photography and tips from the pros, this book is the ultimate resource for everyone from the newbie to the seasoned fermentation enthusiast.

Fermentation & Home Brewing
by Jessica Childs and Eric Childs
Sterling Epicure, 2016

The Book Stall
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Farm Kitchen

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Now Serving... More Kentucky Bourbon Cocktails

Ninety-five percent of the world's bourbon whiskey is produced in Kentucky, and the drink is as distinctive to the state as Thoroughbred horses and Bluegrass music. As America's native spirit enjoys booming popularity worldwide, award-winning bartender Joy Perrine and celebrated restaurant critic and drinks writer Susan Reigler return to offer new recipes that will delight both the cocktail novice and the seasoned connoisseur.

Following up on their best-selling The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book, the duo returns with more reasons to appreciate bourbon whiskey. This mouthwatering volume features more than fifty delicious new concoctions―including variations on classics such as the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan―and even adds a splash of Kentucky flavor to mojitos, sangria, lemonade, and coffee. It also serves up recipes from leading bartenders, prizewinning drinks from cocktail competitions, and a bourbon-inspired buffet featuring edibles that will be a feast for aficionados.

by Joy Perrine and Susan Reigler
University Press of Kentucky, 2016
Good Spirits Online
Beverage Supplies
Bourbon
The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book

Monday, July 11, 2016

Now Cooking with Bourbon Desserts

The flavor of bourbon adds flair and sophistication to every occasion. Celebrations in the Bluegrass State―or any state, for that matter―are never complete without the unique richness of this signature drink. Every holiday party is made warmer with bourbon balls and velvety bourbon eggnog, and no respectable Kentucky Derby party is complete without ice-cold mint juleps. 

Bourbon Desserts features more than seventy-five decadent desserts using America's native spirit. Celebrated food writer and home chef Lynn Marie Hulsman brings together a collection of confections highlighting the complex flavor notes of Kentucky bourbon, which are sure to delight the senses. Organized by category and beautifully presented, the delectable recipes include Bourbon Crème Brulee, Watermelon Julep Pops, Drunken Hot-Fudge Pudding Cake, Derby Morning Maple-Bourbon Hotcake Syrup, and Grandma Rose's Big Race Pie. Giving readers the confidence to prepare these easy-to-execute desserts, this cookbook also features fun facts about bourbon and its origins as well as tips and tricks for working in the kitchen. 

by Lynn Marie Hulsman
University Press of Kentucky, 2016


Friday, July 1, 2016

One-Year Dynasty

Relive the games, moves, and players of the hard-hitting team that won the 1986 World Series.

Vin Scully called the tenth-inning groundball in Game Six of the 1986 World Series—Mets versus Red Sox—that sealed a comeback, fueled a curse, and turned a batting champion into a scapegoat. But getting there was a long, hard slog with plenty of heartache. After being knocked out of contention the previous two seasons, the Mets blasted through the National League that year. They won blowouts, nailbiters, fights, and a 14-inning game that ended with one pitcher on the mound, another in right field, and an All-Star catcher playing third base.

Inside the Rise and Fall of the 1986 Mets, Baseball's Impossible One-and-Done Champions
by Matthew Silverman
Lyons Press, 2016

Playbooks
The Roster
Baseball Magazines

Sunday, June 26, 2016

A New Guide To... Connecticut Made.

A unique guidebook and local resource full of hundreds of things to find and buy, crafts to discover, factories to explore, and history to uncover – all made in Connecticut.

Hundreds of the state’s top cottage industries––all places that you can shop and/or tour––are showcased. Organized by product type, categories include ceramics/pottery, clothing/accessories, furnishings/furniture, glassware, home décor, jewelry, specialty foods, toys/games, and so much more. Together, these homegrown establishments help make up the identity of the Nutmeg State and are part of the larger fabric of what is distinctively New England.

Homegrown Products by Local Craftsmen, Artisans, and Purveyors
by Cynthia Parzych
Globe Pequot Press, 2016

Outrider Reading Group
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Handmade
Connecticut Farmers Markets Directory

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

The Nature Pages: Dirt


The three dozen essays in this anthology explore and explain and celebrate the virtues of Earth's outer surface or, to put it simply, dirt. Edited by novelist Barbara Richardson, the collection includes a wide range of writings by artists, scientists, poets and farmers reflecting on diverse topics emerging from a common soil.

Contributors who could be labeled as "nature writers" include Julene Bair, Wes Jackson, Edward Kanze, Lisa Knopp, John T. Price, Janisse Ray, Jeanne Rogers, Donald G. Schueler, and Liz Stephens.

In her preface, Richardson refers to Walt Whitman's directive "Look for me under your boot-soles" and extols the divinity of dirt. "Grab a shovel. Hike a ravine. Breathe a dust storm. Reek like old goat and sleep like Venus after a dirty long day. Relish dirt's unbiased receptivity. Worship, if you will, the endless fecundity of soil. Or better yet, fall in love. Dirt makes a resilient, astounding lover."

A Love Story
by Barbara Richardson
ForeEdge, 2015

continued in The Nature Pages

The Nature Pages
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