The Mustard Jar throbs to the harsh backbeat of the sounds and emotions of Philadelphia in the mid 1980's. Tom Clausens mundane teenage existence takes a long, lyrical series of left turns as he comes to grips with bandmates, divorced parents and the elusive shadow of a girl named Tara. Along this path he discovers the brutal honesty of love, faith and life in a world of rigid expectations.

The definitive book on one of the world’s most versatile ingredients. Mustard has a long and fascinating history weaving back through many different cultures. It was being cultivated even earlier than 4000 BC. The peppery flavored leaves of the plant can be eaten and are indeed one of the mainstays of southern American soul food cooking. Its seeds can be pressed to make oil as well as used whole. This is the first authoritative book on the subject and covers all aspects of its history, cultivation, and its many and varied uses, both culinary and medicinal. There is something here for everyone, from the professional chef, who may want to learn how to make mustard from scratch, to the home cook. The bulk of the book is dedicated to over 150 recipes using mustard as an ingredient and includes recipes for sauces, soups, starters, fish, poultry, game, meat, vegetables, pickles, baking, savories, and puddings. There is also a section on making mustard at home. Among the tempting treats to try are Mostarda di Cremona, now a fashionable relish on many tables, glazes for baked hams, chicken wings with mustard and lime, mackerel in black treacle and mustard, lapin moutarde (one of the classics of the French kitchen), glazed salt beef with mustard sauce, mustard seed sausages, mustard greens in coconut milk, piccalilli (probably one of the most famous pickles), spiced gingerbread, and mustard seed and allspice biscuits.

They stand only half a thumb high But have adventures as big as the sky. In The Secret Quest, the seventh installment in The Twith Logue Chronicles, Haymun, the goblin king, has returned to Gyminge under strict orders from the wizard. Bimbo and Bollin, the Shadow Brothers, have been sent on a secret quest. With Dr. Tyfuss, Haymun's court physician, on their side, they feel confident of success. But will their carefully laid plans be ruined when Bimbo and Bollin are captured? See how the smallest among us sometimes have the grandest adventures of all in The Secret Quest! The Twith, the seven Little People of Gibbins Brook Farm, survived the Wizard of Wozzle's invasion of their homeland many centuries ago. But their thrilling quests had only just begun! "I am really enjoying the book, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. " —Alyssa G., age 13 "It was so good I didn't want to put it down. I had to read 'just one more chapter'." —Sandie A. "This is a great book for young adults and adults alike! It is a book that will take you to another place and you will feel like you are right there in the story the entire time! Five star rating." —Meagan H.

From the experts at Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball canning products, comes the first truly comprehensive canning guide created for today's home cooks. This modern handbook boasts more than 350 of the best recipes ranging from jams and jellies to jerkies, pickles, salsas, and more-including extender recipes to create brand new dishes using your freshly preserved farmer's market finds or vegetable garden bounty. Organized by technique, The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving covers water bath and pressure canning, pickling, fermenting, freezing, dehydrating, and smoking. Straightforward instructions and step-by-step photos ensure success for beginners, while practiced home canners will find more advanced methods and inspiring ingredient twists. Thoroughly tested for safety and quality by thermal process engineers at the Fresh Preserving Quality Assurance Lab, recipes range from much-loved classics — Tart Lemon Jelly, Tomato-Herb Jam, Ploughman's Pickles — to fresh flavors such as Asian Pear Kimchi, Smoked Maple-Juniper Bacon, and homemade Kombucha. Make the most of your preserves with delicious dishes including Crab Cakes garnished with Eastern Shore Corn Relish and traditional Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies. Special sidebars highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables, while handy charts cover processing times, temperatures, and recipe formulas for fast preparation. Lushly illustrated with color photographs, The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving is a classic in the making for a new generation of home cooks.

Whether grainy or smooth, spicy or sweet, Dijon, American, or English, mustard accompanies our food and flavors our life around the globe. It has been a source of pleasure, health, and myth from ancient times to the present day, its tiny seed a symbol of faith and its pungent flavor a testimony to refined taste. There are stories of mustard plasters used to treat melancholy, runners eating mustard to prevent cramps, and Christians spreading mustard seeds along pilgrimage trails. In this delightful global history of all things Grey Poupon and gleaming yellow, Demet Güzey takes readers on a tour of the ubiquitous mustard, exploring its origins, its use in medicine and in the kitchen, its place in literature, language, and religion, and its strong symbolism of sharpness, perseverance, and strength. Packed with entertaining mustard facts and illustrations as well as a selection of historic and modern recipes, this surprising history of one of the world’s most loved condiments will appeal to all food history aficionados.

A comprehensive guide to home preserving and canning in small batches provides seasonally arranged recipes for 100 jellies, spreads, salsas and more while explaining the benefits of minimizing dependence on processed, store-bought preserves.

Comprehensive, informative, and engaging, Nigella Kitchen offers feel-good food for cooks and eaters that is comforting yet always seductive, nostalgic but with a modern twist -- whether super-fast exotic recipes for the weekday rush, leisurely slow-cook dishes for weekends and special occasions, or irresistible cakes and cookies in true "domestic goddess" style. Nigella Kitchen answers everyday cooking quandaries -- what to feed a group of hungry teenagers, how to rustle up a spur-of-the-moment meal for friends, or how to treat yourself when you're home alone -- and since real cooking is so often about leftovers, here one recipe can morph into another . . . from ham hocks in cider to cidery pea soup, from "praised" chicken to Chinatown salad. This isn't just about being thrifty; it's about being creative and seeing how recipes evolve. With 190 mouthwatering and inspiring recipes, including more than 60 express-style recipes (30 minutes or under), Nigella Kitchen offers plenty of choice--from clams with chorizo to Guinness gingerbread, from Asian braised beef shank to flourless chocolate lime cake, from pasta alla Genovese to Venetian carrot cake. In addition, Nigella presents her no-nonsense kitchen kit must-haves (and crucially what isn't needed) in the way of equipment and magical standby ingredients. But above all, she reminds the reader how much pleasure there is to be had in real food and in reclaiming the traditional rhythms of the kitchen, as she cooks to the beat of the heart of the home, creating simple, delicious recipes to make life less complicated Gorgeously illustrated, this expansive, lively narrative, with its rich feast of food, is destined to be a twenty-first-century classic.