Staff Picks

Our staff recommends:

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Tomato in America: Early History, Culture, & Cookery by Andrew Smith (Hardcover, 224 pages, 1994, $25.00) In the 1830s, tomatoes became America’s first food fad. Now tomatoes are the most popular fruit in the world, with the average American eating 17 pounds of them a year. Includes more than 50 vintage recipes. “This shows how important the tomato is in American history and culture. It’s not a fruit many people think about, and it’s not even native to the U.S. Having grown up in South Jersey, there’s nothing like a beefsteak tomato and Campbell’s tomato soup is like mother’s milk.” -Dorothy

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Smoke: The Romance and Lore of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarman and Mark Rucker (Hardcover, 258 pages, 1999, $30.00) Explores Cuba’s baseball heritage from the 1860s to Cuba’s victory over the Orioles at Baltimore’s Camden Yards in 1999. Examines the pioneers, Cuban stars in the U.S. and early barnstorming tours that brought American greats to Cuba. “I’m a big baseball fan, and Cuban baseball has always been a mythical entity. This book tells an amazingly detailed history of Cuban baseball, with tons of stories, stats and photos — including the famous shots of President Castro in his fledgling baseball career.” -Steve

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Food for the Vegetarian: Traditional Lebanese Recipes (Revised Edition) by Aida Karaoglan (Paperback, 167 pages, 1992, $16.00) This tantalizing collection of more than 200 vegetarian recipes — passed down from mother to daughter, generation after generation — has been carefully collected from the rural villages of Lebanon, patiently tested and adapted to Western kitchens. Accompanied by more than 30 full-color photographs, these tempting and delicious dishes are straightforward and easy to prepare. This was our book special. Read more >> “As a vegetarian who loves to cook, I can tell you these recipes are easy-to-make and delicious.” -Jonathan

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Coffee: Follow a Bean from Tree to Cup and Learn the Art of Preparing Good Coffee by Philippe Boe (Paperback, 125 pages, 2001, $14.00) This concise and beautifully-illustrated book tells everything about coffee: its 17th century journey from Ethiopia to Europe; facts, figures and quotes; how coffee is manufactured, the perfect cup, storage, utensils; coffee’s effects on the body; and recipes for coffee. This was our book special. “This book has a wide range of recipes, photos and fun facts, it’s more than a cookbook. I just spent the semester in Florence, and you have to know the proper coffee to drink during the day. This book has those kinds of details, and more.” -Laura

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