The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites

"Like many miniencyclopedias, this one is studded with often intriguing facts."―Kirkus

New York Post Required Reading and an Entertainment Weekly Top 3 Must-Read!

From the chief historian at HISTORY® comes a rich chronicle of the evolution of American cuisine and culture, from before Columbus's arrival to today.

Did you know that the first graham crackers were designed to reduce sexual desire? Or that Americans have tried fad diets for almost two hundred years? Why do we say things like "buck" for a dollar and "living high on the hog"? How have economics, technology, and social movements changed our tastes? Uncover these and other fascinating aspects of American food traditions in The American Plate.

Dr. Libby H. O'Connell takes readers on a mouth-watering journey through America's culinary evolution into the vibrant array of foods we savor today. In 100 tantalizing bites, ranging from blueberries and bagels to peanut butter, hard cider, and Cracker Jack, O'Connell reveals the astonishing ways that cultures and individuals have shaped our national diet and continue to influence how we cook and eat.

Peppered throughout with recipes, photos, and tidbits on dozens of foods, from the surprising origins of Hershey Bars to the strange delicacies our ancestors enjoyed, such as roast turtle and grilled beaver tail. Inspiring and intensely satisfying, The American Plate shows how we can use the tastes of our shared past to transform our future.

"Do you know where your food comes from? Historically? Libby O'Connell engages us in what feels like an historical scavenger hunt of some of the most common and seemingly mundane foods in American history. The facts and lore will draw you in to the point that you will never look at your food the same way again. The "American Plate" is a true masterclass in American history through a food lens. A must read! " - Chef Carla Hall

"Like many miniencyclopedias, this one is studded with often intriguing facts..." - Kirkus

"O'Connell, chief historian for the History Channel and A&E Networks, has written a book rich in culinary history, sociology, and American culture...This title is not only educational but amusing. Recommended for public libraries" - Library Journal

""Like many miniencyclopedias, this one is studded with often intriguing facts..."" - Kirkus

""O'Connell, chief historian for the History Channel and A&E Networks, has written a book rich in culinary history, sociology, and American culture...This title is not only educational but amusing. Recommended for public libraries"" - Library Journal

"The "American Plate" is an engagingly readable history of American food. It takes us from pemmican to microwave popcorn, from lunch pails to oysters Rockefeller. It's one of those agreeable books that works just as well if you dive in at random or read every bite in sequence; either way, it is full of treats. Libby O'Connell imparts a great deal of information about changing American foodways with humor and pithiness. She considers such questions as how beavertail and eel once popular American delicacies - didn't pass the test of time, while maple syrup and blueberries are still enjoyed, just as they were by American Indians. Oh, and read on to find out the secret ingredient in Brunswick stew." - Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork: A History of How we Cook and Eat"

"Libby O'Connell's The "American Plate" presents one hundred well-researched stories on key foods from the obviouscorn, wheat, beef and turkeys-- to the unexpectedsoldier's rations, Lincoln's favorite cake, Eleanor Roosevelt's scrambled eggs, and roasted turtles. Every page tells a surprising story about American culinary history. O'Connell's easy-to-digest prose and modest portions are sprinkled with fascinating anecdotes that make these stories compulsively readable. This book is a wonderful delight." - Andrew F. Smith, Editor in Chief, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America"

"The "American Plate" shows that food is interesting not just because it tastes good, but because it reflects the people who grow, cook, and eat it. Here are the compelling, colorful backstories of national bites as familiar as microwave popcorn and as obscure as pemmican, as enduring as Southern fried chicken and as of-the-moment as seaweed and acai a buffet of information that revels in the incredible diversity of American cuisine." - Michael Stern, co-author of the bestselling Roadfood series"

"From maize and barbeque to granola and salsa, Libby O'Connell illuminates the history of America's palate with fun and engaging tales of how the nation became what it eats. Using anthropology, history, folklore and economics as her ingredients, she cooks up an intellectually delicious buffet sure to please a wide readership. Thoroughly researched, and based upon serious scholarship, this is a wonderful, informative and entertaining book." - Richard Kurin, author of The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects