Delicious Geography: From Place to Plate

(Paperback)

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Description

This entertaining book takes us on a fascinating exploration of the world of food. Take a journey with the dynamic father and daughter duo, geographer Gary Fuller and chef Tracy Reddekopp, as they travel around the globe to trace the enduring links of geography and food. Food and its preparation and enjoyment define the major cultural regions of the world and how these regions have changed over time. The authors believe that the peoples of the world have begun to reunite after millennia of dispersal. The sharing of foods and food traditions are prime examples of this global connection. Enriching the trip with thirty-five recipes to extend the experience into our kitchen, homes, and families, the authors also make geography fun by asking trivia questions that turn out to be far from trivial. Among the questions asked and answered are: What landlocked country in South America developed a plant that revolutionized food production in Europe What bird on the island of Mauritius gave us an expression about mortality On what Native American reservation, and in what kind of business, do we find the Code Talkers Museum Why could vanilla be grown only in Mexico until the mid-nineteenth century What famous Italian-American was given a nickname derived from a Pan American airliner (Answers: Bolivia, the potato, Dead as a dodo, the Navajo reservation in a Burger King; the plant could only be pollinated naturally by a Mexican bee, Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper)

Reviews

This collection of recipes simmers alongside lessons in geography and history. From discussions on global impacts of specific ingredients, such as the introduction of the potato into Bolivia, to the social influences of ingredients like that of dairy, Fuller and Reddekopp put an interesting personal slant to each chapter. Recipes are bolstered with the history of the highlighted element of each featured recipe, along with learning questions at the beginning of each chapter as well as being put into a personal context. The authors both include intimate stories to bolster the well-researched histories and tried recipes with a unique slant. . . . This is an enjoyable read that features a number of intriguing recipes that have been crafted for the home cook. * Booklist *
This delightful (though U.S.-centric) book about the close bonds between the worlds regions and their distinctive cuisines holds no surprises, but geographer Fuller and chef Reddekopp capture the readers attention with a series of intriguing facts, trivia, and recipes. The authors, a father-daughter team, explore 'the sense of place, the role of familial traditions, and regional values.' They point out the significance to international appetites of essential foods such as spices, rice, sugar, vanilla, and cacao, as well as charting the arrival in the U.S. of key ingredients brought by immigrants from Europe, Africa, Russia, the Pacific, and South America. The recipes are uncomplicated, and the writing shows a wealth of knowledge about the history of foods and their cultural and political introduction to the U.S. * Publishers Weekly *
This engaging volume will entice readers to discover two vital kinds of knowledge that have sadly become scarce. The first is knowledge of the sources, healthfulness, and meaning of our food. The second is knowledge of the planet itself, lost on a post-geographic generation. Delicious Geography is indeed a delicious exploration of the world through food. -- James Hayes-Bohanan, Bridgewater State University
This innovative book beautifullycombines geography, history, and cookingin a single volume. It invites you to learn about the spice trade and thenmake mulled wine, investigate the origins of the potato and then make pommesfrites, and so much more! An insightful and scrumptious geography of food. -- Dan Knudsen, Indiana University

Author Bio

Gary Fuller earned his PhD in geography at Penn State and taught for thirty-five years at the University of Hawaii. He also taught introductory geography at Penn State and Ohio State. He was named a Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Geographic Education, captained a championship College Bowl team, and was a winning contestant on Jeopardy! For the past twenty-five years, he has lectured on geographic and population topics aboard cruise ships. T. M. Reddekopp is the owner and chef of the Hawaiian Vanilla Company. She has been immersed in the art of food and hospitality for over twenty-five years, hosting and serving more than 15,000 visitors a year, deftly incorporating vanilla into just about everything she makes. Choosing a lifestyle well off the beaten path, Tracy has clientele from all over the world seeking out her culinary creations, with many returning year after year in a pilgrimage for her sweet bread pudding with vanilla browned-butter bourbon sauce.