Junk Food and Fast Food with a side of Turkey

Presented by
Andy Smith

Eating junk food and fast food is a great all-American passion. American kids and grownups love their candy bars, Big Macs and supersized fries, Doritos, Twinkies, and Good Humor ice cream bars. Through increased globalization, American popular food culture is being increasingly emulated elsewhere in the world. Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food is the first to focus on junk food and fast food phenomena from a multitude of angles in addition to health and diet concerns. More than 250 essay entries objectively explore the scope of the topics to illuminate the American way through products, corporations and entrepreneurs, social history, popular culture, organizations, issues, politics, commercialism and consumerism.

The Turkey: An American Story discusses both fact and myth in this thorough and multifaceted history of the turkey. Smith believes the quintessentially American bird can tell us about cultural issues and reveal something about being American. Beginning with a scientific description, the historical section covers turkey bones found in North America dating to 3700 B.C., then moves on to the introduction of domesticated turkeys into Europe by explorers of the New World. Methods of cooking from the 16th through the 19th centuries and efforts to preserve the disappearing wild turkey in the early 20th century follow. Even the turkey trot gets a mention.

ANDREW F. SMITH is a freelance writer who teaches culinary history and professional food writing at the New School in Manhattan. He is the author of many books, including The Tomato in America, The Peanut and coauthor of Real American Food. He is the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia on Food and Drink in America and serves as the Chair of The Culinary Trust, the philanthropic arm of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).

Program hosted at Ina’s Restaurant http://www.breakfastqueen.com