The food encyclopedia meets the graphic novel in this knowledgeable basic introduction to all things edible.

Rothman begins her exploration of eating with some informative colored line drawings of table settings from cultures the world over. Her brief survey of historical equipment illustrates the evolution of the stove from rococo cast-iron behemoths to today's high-tech kitchen appliances. Her drawings enhance explanations of food technologies from cheese manufacturing to production of all sorts of Western and Eastern noodles. A few recipes appear, ranging from a complex method for Finnish rye bread to rich kugel, a baked noodle pudding. Textual and visual glossaries abound, defining grains, cheeses, cakes, and even glassware. There is a section on the making of beverages, including tea, coffee, wine, and liquors. Rothman keeps technical terminology to a minimum, making this compendium generally accessible, even to the untutored. Keeping matters lighthearted, she parses American diner cooks' entertainingly unique lingo. An interesting choice for most cooking collections.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 - Food for Thought
A Brief History of Food - A Few Tasty Words to Know - Place Settings - Kinds of Forks - Kinds of Spoons - In the (International) Cupboard - Traditional Ovens - A Century of Stoves - The Ice Age of Refrigeration - Fermentation

Chapter 2 - Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
Dining on the Plant Family - Fruit Facts - How a Flower Becomes a Fruit - The Parents of Produce - All in the Family - Sundry Celeries - Obscure Beauties - Tropical Fruits - Berry Basics - Little Known Terms for Common Tree Fruit - Go Bananas - Citrus - Surprising Salad Greens - Famous Fungi - The Truffle Hunter - Yam vs. Sweet Potato - Beans - Shell Games - Feeling Nutty - Peanut Powered - Cracking Up - How to Make Tofu

Chapter 3 - A Grain of Truth
Good Grains - Corn - Kinds of Rice - Growing Rice - Bread - Rolling the Dough - Baking - Traditional Finnish Rye Bread - Sumptuous Sandwiches - Some Pasta Shapes - Making Pasta - Making Noodles - Asian Noodle Dishes - Jane's Noodle Pudding - Delectable Dumplings - Pancakes

Chapter 4 - The Meat of the Matter
Prime Cuts - How Meat Cooks - On the Charcuterie Plate - Sausage Blends - Butchery Tools - Meaty Dishes - Five Fabulous Food Fish - How to Fillet a Fish - Regal Roe - Other Edible Sea Creatures - The Fishmonger's Lexicon - Seafood Cookery Tools - Fresh Fish - Commonly Eaten Clams - Kinds of Sushi - On the Sushi Menu - Eating the Whole Chicken - The Incredible Egg - Short Order Egg Lingo

Chapter 5 - Dairy Queens
Milk Maid Math - Terms of the Trade - Delicious Dairy - How to Make Butter - Real Deal Buttermilk Pancakes - Cut the Cheese - Cheese Anatomy - The Basic Steps in Making Cheese - Types of Cheese - American Cheese - Curd Nerdisms

Chapter 6 - Street Food
Serious Snacks with Funny Names - With Your Fries - Hot Dawg - Five Styles of Meat on a Stick - Anatomy of a Food Truck - On the Streets - Pizza, Pizza - Taqueria Terminology

Chapter 7 - Season to Taste
Six Superb Spice Blends - That's Hot - A Little Something Sweet - In the Sugar House - Creamy Maple Mocha Pudding - Olive Oil Argot - Mustard - How to Make Vinegar - Salt - Pepper

Chapter 8 - Drink Up!
Coffee - Espresso Guide - A Spot of Tea - What's Brewing? - Tea Time - When Life Gives You Lemons - Shikanjvi for Two - Fizzy Sips - The Equations of Fermented Beverages - The Basic Steps in Making Wine - Wine Tasting - Distillation - Glassware - The Cocktail Maker's Toolkit

Chapter 9 - Sweet Tooth
Common Cakes - Cake-Making Terms - We All Scream for Ice Cream - Sundae Anatomy - Cookies - How Chocolate Is Made - Wordly Treats - A Spoonful of Sugar - Homemade Butterscotch Sauce - Candy - In an Old-Fashioned Candy Shop - Pastries - Pastry Tools - Soft Sweets - American Pie - Donuts - The Fortune Cookie

Delve into the culinary world with Julia Rothman's delightful visual tour of cookery and international cuisine. Histories and curiosities of food around the world are illustrated and explained with Rothman's uniquely charming style. What does an asparagus fork look like? What country puts banana sauce on their French fries? What's the difference between a fish fillet and fish steak? Indulge yourself with a recommended daily allowance of facts and fun.