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1 Remote Warehouse Cooking and Food- Miscellaneous Methods

Better Than Homemade: Amazing Foods

by Carolyn Wyman

Better Than Homemade: Amazing Foods Cover

ISBN13: 9781931686426
ISBN10: 1931686424
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

(1)Who put the Minute in Minute Rice? (2)What, exactly, is Spam? (3)And why do Pringles come in a tennis ball can?

Discover the answers to all these questions and more in Better Than Homemade, a freewheeling illustrated history of the packaged foods industry. From Green Giant and Hamburger Helper to Jiffy Pop and Jell-O, syndicated columnist Carolyn Wyman reveals the fascinating origins of your favorite food products — along with never-before published advertisements, innovative packaging (cheese in a can!?), and hilarious unauthorized uses.

You'll learn that Birds Eye frozen foods were invented by an Arctic adventurer; Kool-Aid got its start from an 11-year-old entrepreneuer; and Twinkies were once used to capture a gang of escaped baboons. Perfect for fans of the Food Network's Unwrapped, this guide is the ultimate paean to processed pleasures!

(1) Afghan prince Attaullah Durrani, who brought the idea to General Foods.

(2) According to Spam's website, Pork shoulder and ham, mostly. Mostly?!

(3) To answer consumer complaints that potato chips were greasy and broke too easily.

Review:

"In an effort that will perhaps be best enjoyed by baby boomers who have yet to overdose on the Food Network, Wyman (Spam: A Biography; Jell-O: A Biography) unwraps 46 very familiar products to reveal their histories, revel in their mysteries and devour their marketing ploys. Anyone still intrigued by Hamburger Helper, Twinkies, Wonder Bread and Jiffy Pop will enjoy the efforts at wordplay ('Velveeta, All-American Hunk') and the concise narratives (the saga of Minute Rice in a two-minute read). Trivia connoisseurs will be happy to learn it takes more than 90 minutes a day to wash the walls and floors at the Marshmallow Fluff factory and that 'among Hispanics with Caribbean roots, Clamato (and most other shellfish-based foods) is considered an aphrodisiac.' Odder than the inclusion of Beer Nuts in a chapter entitled 'Triumphs of Technology' is the fact that Instant Mashed Potatoes and Minute Rice are delegated to the more humble 'Homemaker Helpers' section. Most interesting is the chapter on 'Marketing Marvels,' which explores Jell-O flavors that are no longer available, the voice behind the classic SpaghettiOs jingle and the birth of the Jolly Green Giant. The book's graphics sparkle and should induce cravings for Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks and a nice Hawaiian Punch." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

From Green Giant and Hamburger Helper to Jiffy Pop and Jell-O, syndicated columnist Wyman reveals the fascinating origins of America's favorite "food" products.

About the Author

Carolyn Wyman is the author of Jell-O: A Biography, Spam: A Biography, I'm a Spam Fan, and The Kitchen Sink Cookbook. Her food column for Universal Press Syndicate runs in more than 100 papers nationwide. She has written for the Boston Globe, the Christian Science Monitor, and the New Haven Register. She lives in Philadelphia.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Jennifer Short, October 24, 2007 (view all comments by Jennifer Short)
Clamato with beer? You betcha! What food is used by technitions when preforming MRIs as a marker because it doesn't melt? How do you make the perfect Cool Whip dollop? Why did Tang become the drink of astronauts? All these questions and so much more are answered in this book. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down because there were so many amazing facts about everyday foods. Why did Swanson produce a "banana flavored" fried chicken? Why did the Pillsbury Doughboy not participate in the "Got Milk" campaign? Did you know there was celery flavored Jell-o? This is a great book for anyone who remembers Kool-Aid Man bursting through walls or who has ever wondered what is in Spam.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781931686426
Subtitle:
Amazing Food That Changed the Way We Eat
Author:
Wyman, Carolyn
Publisher:
Quirk Books
Subject:
Methods - General
Subject:
Food
Publication Date:
August 2004
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
144
Dimensions:
778x650x43 73

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