Beef

by Lorna Piatti-Farnell

Published 1 January 2013
Hamburgers, roast beef, stew, steak, ribs - these mouthwatering dishes all have cows in common. But though beef is enjoyed around the world - from the Argentinian pampas to the kobe beef of Japan - links to obesity and heart disease, mad cow disease and climate change have caused consumers to turn a suspicious eye onto the ubiquitous meat. Arguing that beef farming, cooking and eating is found in virtually every country, Beef delves into the social, cultural and economic factors that have shaped the production and consumption of beef throughout history. Lorna Piatti-Farnell shows how the class status of beef has changed over time, revealing that the meat that was once the main component in everyday stews is today showcased in elaborate dishes by five-star chefs. Beef explores the place beef has occupied in art, literature and historical cookbooks, while also paying attention to the ethical issues in beef production and contemplating its future. Featuring images of beef in art and cuisine and palate-pleasing recipes from around the world, Beef will appeal to the taste buds of amateur grillers and top chefs alike.

Banana

by Lorna Piatti-Farnell

Published 1 April 2016
For over a century, the banana has been the world's favourite fruit. Quick and easy to eat, tasty and versatile, the banana is a staple of many diets around the globe. Its history, however, is more than simply a succession of happy family scenes and appealing exotic locations. The growth and development of the fruit we know and love today is entangled with colonial practices, capitalist enterprise, sexual politics and even horrific murders.Banana: A Global History takes us from the agricultural beginnings of the banana in New Guinea to its almost ubiquitous presence in culinary repertoires around the globe, from the United States to the Caribbean, from regions of Africa to the heart of Southeast Asia. The book gives us an insight into the life of the banana over millennia, focusing on our recent history and its cultural affair with the fruit. The global life of the banana is traced in cultural practices, advertising, commercial schemes and the unmissable icons of popular culture, from nineteenth-century medical manuals to cookbooks, songs, the famous 'banana peel gag' and the well-known Miss Chiquita icon.