A short history of herbs in North America. Entertaining folklore and anecdotes, focusing on 15 popular herbs. 26 recipes; 124 research notes; 11,159 words.
A splendid little volume, "Four Centuries of American Herbs" by Patricia B. Mitchell contains descriptions of various herbs, recipes, lore, instructions for drying, quotable quotes, and extensive endnotes.
Sprinkled throughout the book are remarks written by famous people of different time periods. Shakespeare spoke of “… The sweet-marjoram of the sallet…”; Benjamin Franklin wrote about “… The Natures of Things”; Thomas Jefferson suggested, “Season your gravy very high”; and his granddaughter Mary Randolph gave instructions for “Common [Meat] Patties” enhanced with “… Salt, pepper, grated nutmeg… parsley and thyme….”
The Shaker religious sect was enthusiastic about herbs. Their Manifesto advised, “Cucumbers want herbs!” — You will want "Four Centuries of American Herbs."
This and other books by Patricia B. Mitchell were first written for museums and their patrons, and are now available as Kindle editions. Each of her books summarizes a food history topic, using quotations and anecdotes from early sources to both entertain and inform. She carefully lists her references to make it easy for others to launch their own research.
Since the 1980's Patricia Mitchell's work is a proven staple of American museum culture. Her readers love to share her ever-present sense of discovery. Her sales are approaching a million copies, and she is widely known by her web identity FoodHistory.com.
A splendid little volume, "Four Centuries of American Herbs" by Patricia B. Mitchell contains descriptions of various herbs, recipes, lore, instructions for drying, quotable quotes, and extensive endnotes.
Sprinkled throughout the book are remarks written by famous people of different time periods. Shakespeare spoke of “… The sweet-marjoram of the sallet…”; Benjamin Franklin wrote about “… The Natures of Things”; Thomas Jefferson suggested, “Season your gravy very high”; and his granddaughter Mary Randolph gave instructions for “Common [Meat] Patties” enhanced with “… Salt, pepper, grated nutmeg… parsley and thyme….”
The Shaker religious sect was enthusiastic about herbs. Their Manifesto advised, “Cucumbers want herbs!” — You will want "Four Centuries of American Herbs."
This and other books by Patricia B. Mitchell were first written for museums and their patrons, and are now available as Kindle editions. Each of her books summarizes a food history topic, using quotations and anecdotes from early sources to both entertain and inform. She carefully lists her references to make it easy for others to launch their own research.
Since the 1980's Patricia Mitchell's work is a proven staple of American museum culture. Her readers love to share her ever-present sense of discovery. Her sales are approaching a million copies, and she is widely known by her web identity FoodHistory.com.
