Food Americana: the Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America's Favorite Dishes, by David Page turned out to be a timely read ... there's a chapter about fried chicken sandwiches! (If you've seen ads on tv this will make more sense). Why and how does something become popular? (I don't understand sushi)(!) My favorite chapter was the one on barbecue. Methods of just how to bbq, how long, what seasonings are used (many are a closely guarded secret), and regional differences are discussed. Some families have been providing bbq to locals for five generations. You'll learn more about bagels, pizza, and ice cream too. :-)

This book might actually be a good companion to the one above (it's been a while since my posts have had a theme): Ten Restaurants That Changed America, by Paul Freedman. This is not about the ten that are the best, or the most well known, but rather ones that changed how we ate out, what we ate when we were out, and how some changed who ate out. There was Delmonico's, for a fancy, expensive, impressive experience ... much different than grabbing a bite in a local pub. It was a way to show off. Then there was Howard Johnson and his restaurants that stretched across the country. They looked the same, offered the same menu, and were clean and child friendly (not all that common early on) ... something that made a long distance journey or road trip easier. A few tried something new and (gasp) shocking by providing a nice lunch or tea for women without an escort. There were those that specialized in local foods and introduced eaters to new tastes, spices and the like. This is a serious, but well written, history book folks! You'll learn about various time periods in our history as you read this, take your time, there's no test at the end. ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog