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| From Hardtack to Home Fries: An Uncommon History of American Cooks and Meals | 
 enlarge | Author: Barbara Haber
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy Used: $0.89
You Save: $24.11 (96%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 141085
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0684842173
Dewey Decimal Number: 394.10973
EAN: 9780684842172
ASIN: 0684842173
Publication Date: April 2, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: EX-LIBRARY; used item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned for refund. Buy with confidence - your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics!
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 6 | | NEXT » |
 "modify" "adapt"... what for??? June 26, 2008
Some of the history here was interesting.... although she drones on and on about Eleanor Roosevelt's unqualified housekeeper... and is as boring and repetitive as that lady's meals were reputed to be....
but why on earth would you modify or adapt a recipe in what is essentially a history book... when the whole point is how people used to cook....
for anyone who is really interested in the topic, it would probably make more sense to read the sources from the thoughtfully annotated bibliography.... than to read this book.
either this author is naturally boring herself, or she had to write this book to get a promotion at the library where she works... and gets to handle all the luscious originals...
maybe this is all unfair... but i was quite disappointed by this book.
 Lovely and Anecdotal December 6, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is not an intense "History of America Through Food", but rather a fun and witty serious of anecdotes about various chapters in American culinary history. It's in no way encyclopedic, nor is it a reference book, but it does make for a nice read for those who love American history or food. I look forward to Haber's next book... a sequel of this one might be nice, I'm sure there are a dozen more similar examples of American food stories.
A Study of America's Diverse Culinary History February 24, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Barbara Haber, Curator of Books at the Schlesinger Library, has compiled a basic history of America's food. The topics covered include the Irish famine, the Civil War, food reformers such as Graham and Kellogg, the abominable food served in FDR's White House, how food has maintained familial, cultural, and racial bonds, and even cookbook collecting (and I thought I was the only one!). Each topic is a basic history, and for more in-depth study and knowledge, one will likely need to dig through some of the resources provided in the bibliography. But for someone who wants just a basic overview, this book is perfect.
A literary "buffet" of food history essays June 14, 2002
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This book consists of essays concerning different aspects of the history of food and cooking in the United States, and, much like a buffet, some "dishes" are more appetizing than others. Make no mistake, this is well-written from beginning to end, but the subject matter of some chapters held little interest for me personally, while I found others quite fascinating. As a rule (with exceptions), the better the food, the more interesting the essay, so I found the first two chapters rather tedious. Finally, when I got to the chapter about the health food fads that originated from Battle Creek did I find the writing riveting and quite interesting. Other favorites include the chapter about the FDR White House food, which had a notoriously bad reputation, the essay on the Harvey girls, and the chapter about African-American cooks. In summary, this book is a mixed bag where the good outweighs the bland. What more could you ask for in a buffet?
The best of these insights from the 1840s to modern times June 6, 2002
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Barbara Haber has spent years investigating stories of changing ways of cooking meals in America: this gathers the best of these insights from the 1840s to modern times, using cookbooks and menus from all classes, regions, and eras to explore the changing world of food. From the role of food in luring adventurers to the undiscovered American west to how cooking kept POWS alive during World War II, From Hardtack To Home Fries is packed with intriguing history.
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