Synopses & Reviews
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? In Hindu scripture, the world began as an egg. Laid by a swan floating on the waters of chaos, after a year the egg split into silver and gold halves, with the silver becoming the earth and the gold transforming into the sky. Throughout history, the egg has taken on numerous meanings outside of the famous philosophical dilemma: it was used for curing the evil eye by the Mayans, as protection against lightning in Greece, and to signify rebirth in Christian tradition. Inand#160;
Eggs, Diane Toops offers a fascinating tour of egg history and lore, looking at how its significance has represented the preoccupations of the cultures that consume it.
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After explaining the many varieties of eggs and the places that favor them, Toops sketches a history of its uses from its origins until the present day, when it has become an integral part of modern cuisine. She explores how eggs are today marketed as a health food and discusses the debates over their nutritional status. Filled with appetizing recipes and beguiling images, this protein-packed book will enthrall anyone with an interest in cuisine or cultural history.
Synopsis
According to Hindu scripture the world began as an egg, laid by a swan floating on the waters of chaos. Lying for a year, the egg split into silver and gold halves: the silver became the earth; the gold, the sky. Despite its diminutive size and unobtrusive appearance, cultures throughout history have found in the egg an extraordinary array of meanings: used for curing the evil eye by Mayans, as protection against lightning in Greece, and to signify rebirth in the Easter egg. Perhaps the most fabulous eggs ever are those made by the House of Fabergand#233; for the Russian royal family, and other luminously wealthy clients. A Fabergand#233; egg made for the Rothschilds, beautifully enameled in gold and pink under a diamond-encrusted cockerel, sold for a record-breaking $17.4 million in 2007.
Egg relates how this humble yet perfect foodstuff has evolved throughout history, constantly representing the preoccupations of the cultures in which it is consumed. Diane Toops offers a fascinating tour through egg history and lore; first discussing its numerous varieties and the types favored around the world, and then giving a history of its uses from earliest history until the present day. Eggs are now marketed as a health food, and have become an integral part of modern cuisine: essential in binding ingredients as well as being cooked in their own right.
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About the Author
Diane Toops (d. 2012) was an award-winning journalist and the news and trends editor for
Food Processing magazine.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Walking on Eggs
1. What is More Perfect than an Egg?
2. The History of Eggs
3. No Eggs, No Cuisine
4. Eggs in American Cuisine
5. Bringing Eggs to Market: Or, Handle with Care
6. Which Came First and#8211; the Chicken or the Egg?
7. Hatching the World from an Egg
Recipes
References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
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