Food on the Rails traces the rise and fall of food on the rails from its rocky start to its glory days to its sad demise. Looking at the foods, the service, the rail station restaurants, the menus, the dining accommodations and more, Jeri Quinzio brings to life the history of cuisine and dining in railroad cars from the early days through today.
From cookbooks and family recipes to novels, poems, songs and cartoons, this book tells the story of puddings and how they developed from early savoury, sausage - like mixtures to today's sweet and sticky confections. It traces the development of puddings and explains how advances in kitchen equipment have changed them over time.
The origins of ice cream are shrouded in mystery, with various cultures claiming credit for its invention. Ancient Romans used snow to chill drinks rather than create ice cream, while Marco Polo's alleged introduction of the dessert from China is also disputed. In the Arab world, a chilled drink called sharbât laid the groundwork for terms like sherbet and sorbet. The popular narrative credits Catherine de Medici with bringing ices to France, but true ice cream didn't appear there until much later, highlighting the complex history of this beloved treat.
Jeri Quinzio traces the history of desserts and the way they, and the course itself, have evolved over time. The story begins before dessert was a separate course and concludes in the present, when homey desserts are enjoying a revival, and as molecular gastronomists are creating desserts an alchemist would envy.