Not so long ago, Italian food was regarded as a poor man's gruel-little more than pizza, macaroni with sauce, and red wines in a box. Here, John Mariani shows how the Italian immigrants to America created, through perseverance and sheer necessity, an Italian-American food culture, and how it became a global obsession. The book begins with the Greek, Roman, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions before the boot-shaped peninsula was even called "Italy," then takes readers on a journey through Europe and across the ocean to America alongside the poor but hopeful Italian immigrants who slowly but surely won over the hearts and minds of Americans by way of their stomachs. Featuring evil villains such as the Atkins diet and French chefs, this is a rollicking tale of how Italian cuisine rose to its place as the most beloved fare in the world, through the lives of the people who led the charge. With savory anecdotes from these top chefs and restaurateurs: - Mario Batali - Danny Meyer - Tony Mantuano - Michael Chiarello - Giada de Laurentiis - Giuseppe Cipriani - Nigella Lawson And the trials and triumphs of these restaurants: - Da Silvano - Spiaggia - Bottega - Union Square Cafe - Maialino - Rao's - Babbo - Il Cantinori

Banana Meatloaf, Tomato Soup Cake, & Spam Smoothies -- borderline tummy-turners to downright doubtful -- this book is a showcase of culinary curiosities from some of America's favorite magazines, cookbooks, & food co's. Actual recipes & images of some of the most daring dishes to ever leave the kitchen combine with commentary & quips to pay homage to those foods we'd rather forget. In the name of nutrition & creative cooking, the marketing & recipe writers of the 1950s cooked up some very suspicious combinations. Innovations in food processing & new products tempted everyone from the amateur cook to the prof'l. chef to play with their food. And the results? You be the judge. Have a laugh as you remember those foods you'd rather forget!

Counsels parents on how to promote healthy eating in children, providing a selection of vegetable-enhanced classic recipes, from macaroni and cheese with pureed cauliflower to spinach brownies.

Ice cream shop owner Bronwyn Crewse is in for two scoops of murder in this charming mystery from Abby Collette. Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is gorgeous in the fall, and Bronwyn Crewse, owner of Crewse Creamery, knows just how to welcome the new season. At the annual Harvest Time Festival, residents will get a chance to enjoy hot-air balloons and hayrides, crown a new Harvest Time Festival Queen, and eat delicious frozen treats sold at Win’s freshly purchased ice cream truck. But she gets into a sprinkle of trouble when a festivalgoer is poisoned and Win is implicated. Although the victim was a former Harvest Time Festival Queen, her once-sunny disposition had dimmed into bitterness, leaving no shortage of suspects at the festival. To clear her name before the chill of winter sets in, Win will have to investigate and hope that her detective skills won’t “dessert” her.

From Tailfins and TV Dinners¦To Barbie Dolls and Fallout Shelters

A new Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay is icing on the cupcake! After a cupcake-flinging fiasco at a photo shoot for a local magazine, Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura agree to make amends by hosting a weeklong corporate boot camp at Fairy Tale Cupcakes. The idea is the brainchild of billionaire Ian Hannigan, new owner of SWS (Southwest Style), a lifestyle magazine that chronicles the lives of Scottsdale’s rich and famous. He’s assigned his staff to a team-building week of making cupcakes for charity. It’s clear that the staff would rather be doing just about anything other than frosting baked goods. But when the magazine’s creative director is found murdered outside the bakery, Mel and Angie have a new team-building exercise—find the killer before their business goes AWOL. INCLUDES SCRUMPTIOUS RECIPES