Much Depends on Dinner cover art

Much Depends on Dinner

The Extraordinary History and Mythology, Allure and Obsessions, Perils and Taboos of an Ordinary Meal

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Much Depends on Dinner

Written by: Margaret Visser
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
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About this listen

 Winning unanimous praise on its publication and now available in paperback from Grove Press, Much Depends on Dinner is a delightful and intelligent history of the food we eat. Presented as a meal, each chapter represents a different course or garnish. Borrowing from Byron's classic poem "Don Juan" for her title ("Since Eve ate apples, much depends on dinner"), writer Margaret Visser looks to the most ordinary American dinner for her subject - corn on the cob with butter and salt, roast chicken with rice, salad dressed in lemon juice and olive oil, and ice cream - submerging herself in the story behind each food.

In this indulgent and perceptive guide we hear the history of Corn Flakes, why canned California olives are so unsatisfactory (they're picked green, chemically blackened, then sterilized), and the fact that in Africa, citrus fruit is eaten rind and all. For food lovers of all kinds, this unexpectedly funny and serious book is a treasure of information, shedding light on one of our most favorite pastimes.

©1999 Margaret Visser (P)2007 Recorded Books, LLC Customs & Traditions Food & Wine Gastronomy Social Sciences Africa Tradition Funny Imperialism Latin America Middle Ages Mythology Ancient History Middle East
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