From baked beans to apple cider, from clam chowder to pumpkin pie,
Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald's culinary history reveals
the complex and colorful origins of New England foods and cookery.
Featuring hosts of stories and recipes derived from generations of
New Englanders of diverse backgrounds,
America's Founding
Food chronicles the region's cuisine, from the English
settlers' first encounter with Indian corn in the early seventeenth
century to the nostalgic marketing of New England dishes in the
first half of the twentieth century.
Focusing on the traditional foods of the region--including beans,
pumpkins, seafood, meats, baked goods, and beverages such as cider
and rum--the authors show how New Englanders procured, preserved,
and prepared their sustaining dishes. Placing the New England
culinary experience in the broader context of British and American
history and culture, Stavely and Fitzgerald demonstrate the
importance of New England's foods to the formation of American
identity, while dispelling some of the myths arising from patriotic
sentiment.
At once a sharp assessment and a savory recollection,
America's
Founding Food sets out the rich story of the American dinner
table and provides a new way to appreciate American history.