Managing Employees in Foodservice Operations Obtain and retain skilled, professional employees with this accessible guide A foodservice operation can only remain successful if its employees are served as well as its customers. Just as a business with no customers will fail for lack of revenue, one without skilled, professional, satisfied staff will be unable to provide service at the level customers demand. Attracting and retaining qualified staff is a critical challenge for the modern foodservice industry, and one which is only becoming more urgent in today's market. Managing Employees in Foodservice Operations offers a uniquely foodservice-oriented guide to obtaining, training, and retaining employees in a fast-paced and highly competitive industry. The book provides: Content perfectly aligned with a two-year community college program courses in human resources, supervision, small business administration, or related subjects Detailed discussion of topics including workplace health and safety, recruitment and retention, and many more Ideas cultivated during the authors' decades of combined experience in hospitality, foodservice, leadership, and research Material to support instructors conducting courses, including PowerPoints, chapter-by-chapter exam questions, and case studies Managing Employees in Foodservice Operations is ideal for students in foodservice-related courses, as well as professional business
The Professional Chef is the quintessential kitchen companion from The Culinary Institute of America, used by hundreds of America's top chefs. This updated 10th Edition presents the skills and quality standards needed to master the fundamentals of cooking. A refreshed, modern design features simplified definitions and techniques streamlined into step-by-step instructions to support aspiring chefs and culinary students of any level. Revisions in the 10th edition include using modern plant-forward ingredients, in line with the CIA and Harvard's Menus of Change initiative, highlighting that vegetables can also be the star at the center of the plate. The authors merged meat and vegetable cookery chapters, and updated some recipes to feature plant-based ingredients, all revised in the CIA's own test kitchen. Chapters are reorganized to follow the CIA Culinary Fundamentals course more closely, with new troubleshooting sections based on frequent classroom questions, to help students and chefs solve problems before they occur, with updated text and photo examples. Updates for instructors and students include: "Method at a Glance" and "Method in Details" features provide overviews and in-depth step-by-step guidance "Beyond the Basics" sections offer ideas for expanding and improving upon techniques and recipes, with "Tips of the Trade" advice from real world kitchens "Preserving the Flavor" provides finishing instructions for each recipe and suggestions for reusing recipe byproduct Techniques now include two sections of recipes: base examples, and "More to Try" variations for further exploration, plus "Quality Criteria" that describe the expected results from each technique Includes even more recipes, illustrated with over 100 new full-color photos of ingredients, techniques, and plated dishes. Over 300 photos in total With focus on the simplicity and freshness of food and perfect kitchen technique, The Professional Chef, Tenth Edition is an essential introduction for students, and reference for every professional and home cook.
Despite competition from an ever-growing range of alternative adult beverages, beer remains a vastly important beverage globally. There is a huge diversity of beer styles, drinks suited not only to refreshment and delight in themselves, but also to suit any drinking occasion, including alongside food of all types. There is nutritional value in beer and evidence that, consumed responsibly, it can be a valuable part of a well-balanced diet. This relates to the wholesomeness of the basic materials employed for the brewing of beer, notably malt and hops, but also the nature of the longstanding processes that are employed in converting cereals such as barley and wheat into malt and thence through the time-honored stages of brewing. This book explains these issues- history, nature and complexity of the modern brewing business, types of beer, quality attributes of beer, the underpinning processes, and much more. Any reader, from those who know little about the subject through to the beer aficionado, will gain a meaningful understanding of beer: the science and technology that are involved in its production and properties but also the art that is at the heart of producing the world's favorite alcoholic drink.
Please check the catalog or databases, or contact RCBC Library to see if book is currently available. Here are a few suggestions:
Food, Film and Culture by
Culinary imagery, much like sexual and violent imagery, is a key cinematic device used to elicit a sensory response from an audience. In many films, culinary imagery is central enough to constitute a new subgenre, defined by films in which food production, preparation, service, and consumption play a major part in the development of character, structure, or theme. This book defines the food film genre and analyzes the relationship between cinematic food imagery and various cultural constructs, including politics, family, identity, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, and religion. Chapters examine these themes in several well-known food films, such as The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Chocolat, Babette's Feast , and Eat Drink Man Woman , and lesser-known productions, including Felicia's Journey, Kitchen Stories, Magic Kitchen , and Chinese Feast . The work includes a filmography of movies within the food genre. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here .
What's Eating You? by
Divided into four thematic sections, What's Eating You' explores the deeper significance of food on screen the ways in which they reflect (or challenge) our deepest fears about consuming and being consumed. Among the questions it asks are- How do these films mock our taboos and unsettle our notions about the human condition' How do they critique our increasing focus on consumption' In what ways do they hold a mirror to our taken-for-granteds about food and humanity, asking if what we eat truly matters' Horror narratives routinely grasp those questions and spin them into nightmares. Monstrous others dine on forbidden fare; the tables of consumption are turned, and the consumer becomes the consumed. Overindulgence, as Le Grande Bouffe (1973) and Street Trash (1987) warn, can kill us, and occasionally, as films like The Stuff (1985) and Poultrygeist (2006) illustrate, our food fights back. From Blood Feast (1963) to Sweeney Todd (2007), motion pictures have reminded us that it is an eat or be eaten world.
The Prentice Hall Dictionary of Culinary Arts by
This unique exceptionally comprehensive dictionary contains over 25,000 entries covering food identification, preparation and cooking methods, nutrition, sanitation, tools and equipment, wine, beer and spirits, cigars, international foods, food chemistry, historical and cultural terms, hospitality terms and prepared dishes.
Food by
When did we first serve meals at regular hours? Why did we begin using individual plates and utensils to eat? When did "cuisine" become a concept and how did we come to judge food by its method of preparation, manner of consumption, and gastronomic merit? Food: A Culinary History explores culinary evolution and eating habits from prehistoric times to the present, offering surprising insights into our social and agricultural practices, religious beliefs, and most unreflected habits. The volume dispels myths such as the tale that Marco Polo brought pasta to Europe from China, that the original recipe for chocolate contained chili instead of sugar, and more. As it builds its history, the text also reveals the dietary rules of the ancient Hebrews, the contributions of Arabic cookery to European cuisine, the table etiquette of the Middle Ages, and the evolution of beverage styles in early America. It concludes with a discussion on the McDonaldization of food and growing popularity of foreign foods today.
Tasty by
"A fascinating blend of culinary history and the science of taste" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), from the first bite taken by our ancestors to ongoing scientific advances in taste and today's "foodie" revolution. Can't resist the creamy smoothness of butter? Blame Darwinian natural selection. Crave the immediate zing of sweets? They bathe your brain in a seductive high. Enjoy the savory flavors of grilled meat? So did your ancestor Homo erectus. Coffee? You had to overcome your hardwired aversion to its hint of bitterness and learn to like it. Taste is a whole-body experience, and breakthroughs in genetics and microbiology are casting light not only on the experience of french fries and foie gras, but on the mysterious interplay of body, brain, and mind. Reporting from kitchens, supermarkets, farms, restaurants, huge food corporations, and science labs, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John McQuaid tells the story of the still-emerging concept of flavor and how our sense of taste will evolve in the coming decades. Tasty explains why children have bizarre and stubborn tastes, how the invention of cooking changed our brains and physiology, why artificial sweeteners never taste quite right, why name brands really do taste better, how a 100,000-year-old walkabout by early humans is responsible for George H.W. Bush's broccoli-hatred, why "supertasters" like salt, and why "nontasters" are more likely to be alcoholics. "A fascinating story with a beginning some half a billion years ago...McQuaid's tale is about science, but also about culture, history and, one senses, our future" (Scientific American). Tasty offers a delicious smorgasbord of where taste originated and where it's going--and why it changes by the day.
Food Studies by
Traditional food studies textbooks tend to emphasize theoretical concepts and text-based approaches. Yet food is sensory, tactile, and experiential. Food Studies: A Hands-on Guide is the first book to provide a practical introduction to food studies. Offering a unique, innovative approach to learning and teaching, Willa Zhen presents creative hands-on activities that can easily be done in a traditional classroom - without the need for a student kitchen. Major theories and key concepts in food studies are covered in an engaging, tangible way, alongside topics such as food production, consumption, technology, identity and culture, and globalization. A fantastic resource for supporting student engagement and learning, the book features: - practical activities, such as grinding grains to learn about the importance of food technology; working with restaurant menus to understand changes in food trends, tastes, and ingredients; writing food poetry; and many more - pedagogical features such as learning objectives, discussion questions, suggested readings, and a glossary - a companion website offering lesson plans, worksheets, and links to additional resources. This is the perfect introduction for students of food studies, anthropology of food, food geography, food hospitality, sociology of food, food history, and gastronomy.
The Food and Beverage Magazine Guide to Restaurant Success by
A complete how-to guide with ALL you need to know to open and run a successful restaurant. Each month, countless new restaurants open their doors as others fail. Despite continuing industry growth, many new restaurants struggle to succeed. Even established restaurants are challenged to stay open. These businesses may have great food and amazing service, yet some still face uncertain futures. Now, help has arrived for restaurant owners and managers! Food and Beverage Magazine's Guide to Restaurant Success is written by an industry expert who has opened numerous restaurants and provided valuable restaurateur guidance in the role of a trusted consultant. This restaurant success guide provides vital information on how to protect the significant investment--sometimes ranging from $250,000 to $425,000--that's required to open a restaurant and keep it running during the first six months. Author Michael Politz started his career with an ice cream business and went on to found a number of restaurants, a frozen food distribution business, a restaurant consulting service, and a respected online magazine for the food and beverage industry. Politz shares his extensive knowledge gained through both success and failure. With his indispensable guide, you can easily double-check to make sure you're doing things right. Get guidance from a restaurant owner's handbook of what to do and not do Refer to handy tips and checklists that help you launch your business Discover insight into the triumphs of Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, and more Gain food industry knowledge with a comprehensive restaurant how-to guide Whether you want to open a burger joint or a fine dining restaurant, this advice-filled resource will help you cover all the details that make a difference. You'll be better prepared before, during, and after your restaurant launch! Set your establishment up for rave reviews with Food and Beverage Magazine's Guide to Restaurant Success.
Halal Food by
Food trucks announcing "halal" proliferate in many urban areas but how many non-Muslims know what this means, other than cheap lunch? Here Middle Eastern historians Febe Armanios and Bogac Ergene provide an accessible introduction to halal (permissible) food in the Islamic tradition, exploringwhat halal food means to Muslims and how its legal and cultural interpretations have changed in different geographies up to the present day.Historically, Muslims used food to define their identities in relation to co-believers and non-Muslims. Food taboos are rooted in the Quran and prophetic customs, as well as writings from various periods and geographical settings. As in Judaism and among certain Christian sects, Islamic foodtraditions make distinctions between clean and impure, and dietary choices and food preparation reflect how believers think about broader issues. Traditionally, most halal interpretations focused on animal slaughter and the consumption of intoxicants. Muslims today, however, must also contend withan array of manufactured food products - yogurts, chocolates, cheeses, candies, and sodas - filled with unknown additives and fillers. To help consumers navigate the new halal marketplace, certifying agencies, government and non-government bodies, and global businesses vie to meet increased demandsfor food piety. At the same time, blogs, cookbooks, restaurants, and social media apps have proliferated, while animal rights and eco-conscious activists seek to recover halal's more wholesome and ethical inclinations.Covering practices from the Middle East and North Africa to South Asia, Europe, and North America, this timely book is for anyone curious about the history of halal food and its place in the modern world.
Stirring the Pot by
Africa's art of cooking is a key part of its history. All too often Africa is associated with famine, but in Stirring the Pot, James C. McCann describes how the ingredients, the practices, and the varied tastes of African cuisine comprise a body of historically gendered knowledge practiced and perfected in households across diverse human and ecological landscape. McCann reveals how tastes and culinary practices are integral to the understanding of history and more generally to the new literature on food as social history. Stirring the Pot offers a chronology of African cuisine beginning in the sixteenth century and continuing from Africa's original edible endowments to its globalization. McCann traces cooks' use of new crops, spices, and tastes, including New World imports like maize, hot peppers, cassava, potatoes, tomatoes, and peanuts, as well as plantain, sugarcane, spices, Asian rice, and other ingredients from the Indian Ocean world. He analyzes recipes, not as fixed ahistorical documents,but as lively and living records of historical change in women's knowledge and farmers' experiments. A final chapter describes in sensuous detail the direct connections of African cooking to New Orleans jambalaya, Cuban rice and beans, and the cooking of African Americans' "soul food." Stirring the Pot breaks new ground and makes clear the relationship between food and the culture, history, and national identity of Africans.
Food Culture in Italy by
There is keen interest in the exquisite yet simple Italian cuisine and Italian culture. This volume provides an intimate look at how Italians cook, eat, and think about food today. It describes the cornucopia of foodstuffs and classic ingredients. An overview of the typical daily routine of meals and snacks gives a good feel for the everyday life. The changing roles of women are explored with a discussion of the inroads that convenience foods are making. In addition, the current concerns about the food supply, the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and the slow food movement are tied in to the debates on these issues in the United States. Food is one of the main reasons why many Americans travel to Italy. Yet, the fascination with Italian cuisine is not all about health or taste. There is much more to it. Italian food is perceived and portrayed in the media as representing a whole lifestyle: Italians live la dolce vita, leisurely eating and drinking with friends and families, families are still important, and communities are close knit. The reality of Italian society is more complex, and this volume offers a balanced view of Italian culture and identity through its foodways.
Remarkable Service by
A professional, highly trained staff offers a competitive advantage for all foodservice operations, from practical service skills (i.e., setting the table, serving the food, and presenting the check) to less tangible service skills (i.e., creating a welcoming space, exhibiting a helpful attitude, and anticipating customer needs). This revised edition has been thoroughly re-organized and updated with all-new photographs and includes new "Scripts for Service Scenarios" throughout to help servers practice real-world scenarios.
Culinary Math by
Written by two former instructors at The Culinary Institute of America, the revised and updated Culinary Math, 4th Edition is an indispensable math resource for foodservice professionals everywhere. Covering topics such as calculating yield percent, determining portion costs, changing recipe yields, and converting between metric and U.S. measures, it offers a review of math basics, easy-to-follow lessons, detailed examples, and newly revised practice problems in every chapter. Used by culinary professionals and students around the country, this book presents proven step-by-step methods for understanding foodservice math and using it appropriately in the kitchen. It is filled with examples and sample problems that connect math skills to real-world situations. This edition of Culinary Math also includes more practice problems in each chapter to help readers develop and practice their problem-solving skills.
The Philosophy of Curry by
There are curries on almost every continent, with a stunning diversity of flavors and textures across India alone, and many more interpretations the world over, including in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Trinidad and the UK. But curry is difficult to define. The word has origins in ancient India, but its adoption by Portuguese and British colonizers saw curry reinterpreted in the west to encompass an entire cuisine, prompting many Indians to reject the term outright. Sejal Sukhadwala probes the complex intersection of tradition and colonialism through the fascinating history of curry, from its association with Ayurveda - one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems to its enduring popularity in contemporary British culture. Garnishing this history is a surfeit of helpful advice on which oils to use, how to temper spices and where to find those all-important mouth-watering recipes.
Food Safety Practices in the Restaurant Industry by
In recent years, cases of food-borne illness have been on the rise and are creating a significant public health challenge worldwide. This situation poses a health risk to consumers and can cause economic loss to the food service industry. Identifying the current issues in food safety practices among the industry players is critical to bridge the gap between knowledge, practices, and regulation compliance. Food Safety Practices in the Restaurant Industry presents advanced research on food safety practices investigated within food service establishments as an effort to help the industry pinpoint risks and non-compliance relating to food safety practices and improve the practices in preventing food-borne illnesses from occurring. Covering a range of topics such as food packaging, safety audits, consumer awareness, and standard safety practices, it is ideal for food safety and service professionals, food scientists and technologists, policymakers, restaurant owners, academicians, researchers, teachers, and students.
School food, equity and social justice : critical reflections and perspectives by 
The sustainable chef : the environment in culinary arts, restaurants, and hospitality by
"This book provides the first systematic and accessible text for students of hospitality and the culinary arts that directly addresses how more sustainable restaurants and commercial food services can be achieved. Food systems receive growing attention because they link various sustainability dimensions. Restaurants are at the heart of these developments, and their decisions to purchase regional foods, or to prepare menus that are healthier and less environmentally problematic have great influence on food production processes. This book is systematically designed around understanding the inputs and outputs of the commercial kitchen as well as what happens in the restaurant from the perspective of operators, staff and the consumer. The book considers different management approaches and further looks at the role of restaurants, chefs and staff in the wider community and the positive contributions that commercial kitchens can make to promoting sustainable food ways. Case studies from all over the world illustrate the tools and techniques helping to meet environmental and economic bottom lines. This will be essential reading for all students of hospitality and the culinary arts"-- Provided by publisher.
Gastronomy, Hospitality, and the Future of the Restaurant Industry by
Gastronomic tourism has made remarkable progress within the past decade in both academia and within its own sector. However, many industries have suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, and food tourism businesses had to take unique precautions for the health and safety of global consumers. Despite the economic turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many strategies available for the restaurant industry to thrive. Gastronomy, Hospitality, and the Future of the Restaurant Industry: Post-COVID-19 Perspectives presents the most recent research surrounding food and gastronomy in relation to hospitality and tourism, highlighting emerging themes and different methods of approach. Concretely, it constitutes a timely and relevant compendium of chapters that offers its readers relevant issues in gastronomy and management strategies in the hospitality industry. Covering topics such as food tourism, organic food production, and restaurant communication, this book is an essential resource for managers, business owners, entrepreneurs, consultants, marketing specialists, government officials, libraries, researchers, academicians, educators, and students.
Mexican-American Cuisine by
Providing food for the brain as well as the body, this wonderful collection of essays explores the boundaries between Mexican and Mexican-American foods, promotes philosophical understandings of Mexican-American cuisine, and shares recipes from both past and present. Defining Mexican-American food is difficult due to its incredibly diverse roots and traditions. This unique style of cuisine varies significantly from Mexican and Latin American cuisines, fusing Native American and Hispanic influences stemming from three centuries of first Spanish and later Mexican rule. In Mexican-American Cuisine, renowned authority in Latino culture Ilan Stavans and 10 other experts in southwestern cuisine explore the food itself and associated traditions. The book presents nine scholarly essays that examine philosophical understandings of Mexican-American cuisine. Covering both platillos principales (main dishes) and postres (desserts), the authors serve up a sideboard of anthropological, ethnographic, sociological, and culinary observations. Essay topics include the boundaries between Mexican and Mexican-American food, the history and uses of the chile, and the derivations of Mexican cuisine. Readers are also treated to recipes and recommendations by 19th-century California chef Encarnación Pinedo who explores "The Art of Cooking." An introduction by Ilan Stavans Contributed essays from nine outstanding writers Recipes from both past and present A selected bibliography of key sources
Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals by
Combine the insights of an experienced dietitian and a renowned chef in this practical guide to nutrition and food In the newly revised 10th Edition of Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals, registered nutritionist Karen E. Drummond and executive chef Lisa M. Brefere deliver an insightful guide to incorporating healthy, balanced dietary techniques into everyday practice. From national nutrition guidelines to food preparation and labeling standards, the authors cover every relevant aspect of planning, preparing, and serving healthy meals. They include updated 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the USDA, the latest nutrition research, culinary trends, ingredients, and planning menus to meet the diverse nutritional needs of today's customers. This book also includes: A thorough introduction to the fundamentals of nutrition and foods, including why nutrition is important, what constitutes a healthy diet, and discussions of calories and nutrients A comprehensive exploration of balanced cooking and menus, including how to build flavor, balanced baking, modifying recipes, and gluten-free baking Practical discussions of applied nutrition, including how to handle customers' special nutrition requests, weight management, and nutrition for people of all ages Several appendices including serving sizes for MyPlate food groups and dietary reference intakes An enhanced e-book with links to technique videos, interactive games, quizzes, and glossary entries Perfect for students completing a culinary arts or foodservice management curriculum, Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals, Tenth Edition is also an indispensable resource for chefs, cooks, and anyone else who professionally prepares food.
Ebooks are accessible directly from the Library catalog. If you're interested in finding ebooks only, head to eBook Collection. To log in, use the barcode located on the back of your student ID and your pin number. You have the option to download ebooks to a device, but we strongly recommend reading them online to take advantage of the full suite of available tools. Create a personal account using your Library barcode and PIN to manage and organize your ebook reading and research.
Gastro-Modernism by
This volume of critical essays provides a long overdue survey of food culture and politics represented in global literary modernisms. The links among what we eat, the production and representation of food, and the resulting global impacts in culture and society are increasing contemporaryissues largely dating back to the early twentieth century. Gastronomy signals many social, cultural, and ecological concerns that emerge in the modernist period because of an enlarging social food culture, with expanding food systems in factories and abattoirs to accommodate such growth. At the sametime, food supplies were rationed due to wars and economic depression.The response of modernist writers, playwrights, and poets to modernity and urbanization occurs not only through formalistic literary techniques, but also in the overt themes and settings related to food culture. Modernists famously explored public and domestic spaces where food and drink areprepared and served, such as cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, pubs, brasseries, kitchens, or dining rooms. Gastro-Modernism ultimately shows how global literary modernisms engage with the food culture known as gastronomy to express anxieties about modernity as much as to celebrate the excesses modernlifestyles produce.
The Social Significance of Dining Out by
Dining out used to be considered exceptional; however, the Food Standards Authority reported that in 2014, one meal in six was eaten away from home in Britain. Previously considered a necessary substitute for an inability to obtain a meal in a family home, dining out has become a popular recreational activity for a majority of the population, offering pleasure as well as refreshment. Based on a major mixed-methods research project on dining out in England, this book offers a unique comparison of the social differences between London, Bristol and Preston from 1995 to 2015, charting the dynamic relationship between eating in and eating out. Addressing topics such as the changing domestic divisions of labour around food preparation, the variety of culinary experience for different sections of the population, and class differences in taste and the pleasures and satisfactions associated with dining out, the authors explore how the practice has evolved across the three cities.
Dining with the Rich and Royal by
Dining with the Rich and Royal is a marvelous journey into the gastronomic peccadilloes of the great, the good, and the not-so-good. When the world is at your feet, what is on your table? Dining with the Rich and Royal serves up the glamour of the jet set on a plate, from the silver spoon to the last Kleenex wipe. We follow the food adventures of Hilton, Hefner, and Howard Hughes; the great transatlantic dynasties: Onassis, the Vanderbilts, the Astors and the Rothschilds. Royals watchers and history twitchers will find out the effect of too many fairy feasts on Ludwig of Bavaria; how Hirohito and Ibn Saud tasted East-Meets-West diplomacy. Would you try the cake that killed Rasputin or suck on a suicide sweet with Antony and Cleo? Was it sex or raspberry souffl that won Mrs. Simpson a king's heart? It's all here: a succession of abdications, executions, revolutions, coronations, tales of toothache and posh picnics spiced with the odd military coup or two. Mind your manners now.
You can use your RCBC Library barcode to either request the book to be sent to RCBC's library for you to pick up or you can bring your RCBC Library barcode to the county branch and pick up the book from that branch
Bound to the Fire by
In grocery store aisles and kitchens across the country, smiling images of "Aunt Jemima" and other historical and fictional black cooks can be found on various food products and in advertising. Although these images are sanitized and romanticized in American popular culture, they represent the untold stories of enslaved men and women who had a significant impact on the nation's culinary and hospitality traditions even as they were forced to prepare food for their oppressors. Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally "bound to the fire" as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens. These highly skilled cooks drew upon skills and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes such as oyster stew, gumbo, and fried fish. However, their white owners overwhelmingly received the credit for their creations. Focusing on enslaved cooks at Virginia plantations including Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and George Washington's Mount Vernon, Deetz restores these forgotten figures to their rightful place in American and Southern history. Bound to the Fire not only uncovers their rich and complex stories and illuminates their role in plantation culture, but it celebrates their living legacy with the recipes that they created and passed down to future generations.
Chop Suey, USA by
American diners began to flock to Chinese restaurants more than a century ago, making Chinese food the first mass-consumed cuisine in the United States. By 1980, it had become the country's most popular ethnic cuisine. Chop Suey, USA offers the first comprehensive interpretation of the rise of Chinese food, revealing the forces that made it ubiquitous in the American gastronomic landscape and turned the country into an empire of consumption. Engineered by a politically disenfranchised, numerically small, and economically exploited group, Chinese food's tour de America is an epic story of global cultural encounter. It reflects not only changes in taste but also a growing appetite for a more leisurely lifestyle. Americans fell in love with Chinese food not because of its gastronomic excellence but because of its affordability and convenience, which is why they preferred the quick and simple dishes of China while shunning its haute cuisine. Epitomized by chop suey, American Chinese food was a forerunner of McDonald's, democratizing the once-exclusive dining-out experience for such groups as marginalized Anglos, African Americans, and Jews. The rise of Chinese food is also a classic American story of immigrant entrepreneurship and perseverance. Barred from many occupations, Chinese Americans successfully turned Chinese food from a despised cuisine into a dominant force in the restaurant market, creating a critical lifeline for their community. Chinese American restaurant workers developed the concept of the open kitchen and popularized the practice of home delivery. They streamlined certain Chinese dishes, such as chop suey and egg foo young, turning them into nationally recognized brand names.
Cultured by
In Cultured, Katherine Harmon Courage investigated the essential role our gut-or as we now know it's more accurately called, the microbiome-plays in our overall health and well-being. Through our efforts to keep our bodies and living environments clean and disinfected, we are actually wiping out the essential microbes we need to maintain our immunity. Fortunately, simple dietary changes may be all we need to right the ecology of our microbiome. By examining digestive health through a foodie's lens-looking to other cultures and their gut-friendly food traditions, from kimchi to kefir, and teaching us the differences between probiotic and prebiotic foods-Courage is able to break down the complex science behind digestive health to make it accessible for all readers. Highly informative yet accessible and practical, Cultured is the resource readers need in order to learn what they can and should be doing to cultivate the essential microbes they need to live healthier, happier lives.
Eating to Extinction by
Dan Saladino's Eating to Extinction is the prominent broadcaster's pathbreaking tour of the world's vanishing foods and his argument for why they matter now more than ever Over the past several decades, globalization has homogenized what we eat, and done so ruthlessly. The numbers are stark: Of the roughly six thousand different plants once consumed by human beings, only nine remain major staples today. Just three of these--rice, wheat, and corn--now provide fifty percent of all our calories. Dig deeper and the trends are more worrisome still: The source of much of the world's food--seeds--is mostly in the control of just four corporations. Ninety-five percent of milk consumed in the United States comes from a single breed of cow. Half of all the world's cheese is made with bacteria or enzymes made by one company. And one in four beers drunk around the world is the product of one brewer. If it strikes you that everything is starting to taste the same wherever you are in the world, you're by no means alone. This matters: when we lose diversity and foods become endangered, we not only risk the loss of traditional foodways, but also of flavors, smells, and textures that may never be experienced again. And the consolidation of our food has other steep costs, including a lack of resilience in the face of climate change, pests, and parasites. Our food monoculture is a threat to our health--and to the planet. In Eating to Extinction, the distinguished BBC food journalist Dan Saladino travels the world to experience and document our most at-risk foods before it's too late. He tells the fascinating stories of the people who continue to cultivate, forage, hunt, cook, and consume what the rest of us have forgotten or didn't even know existed. Take honey--not the familiar product sold in plastic bottles, but the wild honey gathered by the Hadza people of East Africa, whose diet consists of eight hundred different plants and animals and who communicate with birds in order to locate bees' nests. Or consider murnong--once the staple food of Aboriginal Australians, this small root vegetable with the sweet taste of coconut is undergoing a revival after nearly being driven to extinction. And in Sierra Leone, there are just a few surviving stenophylla trees, a plant species now considered crucial to the future of coffee. From an Indigenous American chef refining precolonial recipes to farmers tending Geechee red peas on the Sea Islands of Georgia, the individuals profiled in Eating to Extinction are essential guides to treasured foods that have endured in the face of rampant sameness and standardization. They also provide a roadmap to a food system that is healthier, more robust, and, above all, richer in flavor and meaning.
A Square Meal by
James Beard Foundation Book Award Winner From the author of the acclaimed 97 Orchard and her husband, a culinary historian, an in-depth exploration of the greatest food crisis the nation has ever faced--the Great Depression--and how it transformed America's culinary culture. The decade-long Great Depression, a period of shifts in the country's political and social landscape, forever changed the way America eats. Before 1929, America's relationship with food was defined by abundance. But the collapse of the economy, in both urban and rural America, left a quarter of all Americans out of work and undernourished--shattering long-held assumptions about the limitlessness of the national larder. In 1933, as women struggled to feed their families, President Roosevelt reversed long-standing biases toward government-sponsored "food charity." For the first time in American history, the federal government assumed, for a while, responsibility for feeding its citizens. The effects were widespread. Championed by Eleanor Roosevelt, "home economists" who had long fought to bring science into the kitchen rose to national stature. Tapping into America's long-standing ambivalence toward culinary enjoyment, they imposed their vision of a sturdy, utilitarian cuisine on the American dinner table. Through the Bureau of Home Economics, these women led a sweeping campaign to instill dietary recommendations, the forerunners of today's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. At the same time, rising food conglomerates introduced packaged and processed foods that gave rise to a new American cuisine based on speed and convenience. This movement toward a homogenized national cuisine sparked a revival of American regional cooking. In the ensuing decades, the tension between local traditions and culinary science has defined our national cuisine--a battle that continues today. A Square Meal examines the impact of economic contraction and environmental disaster on how Americans ate then--and the lessons and insights those experiences may hold for us today. A Square Meal features 25 black-and-white photographs.
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Note: a book that shows up as being in another branch may be currently in use by another patron. Save yourself a trip and call to double check the book's availability!
Inter-library Loans
If a book that you want is not available in the RCBC Library or BCLS, we can attempt to order the book from an outside library to be delivered to the RCBC Library. Note: this method may take 2 weeks or longer for the book to arrive at RCBC.
To order a book via inter-library loan, please either fill out a blank form from JerseyCat or contact Debbie Kolodziej at dkolodzie@rcbc.edu.
Faculty Book Requests
Research assistance - help finding sources, evaluating sources
Online workshops for citing and plagiarism are held throughout the semester. To request a citing workshop, please email library@rcbc.edu