"Talking turkey" about the bird you thought you knew
Fondly remembered as the centerpiece of family Thanksgiving reunions, the turkey is a cultural symbol as well as a multi-billion dollar industry. As a bird, dinner, commodity, and as a national icon, the turkey has become as American as the bald eagle (with which it actually competed for supremacy on national insignias).
Food historian Andrew F. Smith's sweeping and multifaceted history of Meleagris gallopavo separates fact from fiction, serving as both a solid historical reference and a fascinating general read. With his characteristic wit and insatiable curiosity, Smith presents the turkey in ten courses, beginning with the bird itself (actually several different species of turkey) flying through the wild. The Turkey subsequently includes discussions of practically every aspect of the iconic bird, including the wild turkey in early America, how it came to be called "turkey," domestication, turkey mating habits, expansion into Europe, stuffing, conditions in modern industrial turkey factories, its surprising commercial history of boom and bust, and its eventual ascension to holiday mainstay.
As one of the easiest of foods to cook, the turkey's culinary possibilities have been widely explored if little noted. The second half of the book collects an amazing array of over one hundred historical and modern turkey recipes from across America and Europe. From sandwiches to salmagundi, you'll find detailed instructions on nearly every variation on the turkey. Historians will enjoy a look back at the varied appetites of their ancestors and seasoned cooks will have an opportunity to reintroduce a familiar food in forgotten ways.
| Contents Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Part I: History 1. The Prehistoric Turkey, or How the Turkey Conquered North America 2. The Globe-Trotting Turkey, or How the Turkey Conquered Europe 3. The English Turkey, or How the Turkey Cooked the Christmas Goose 4. The Call of the Wild Turkey, or How the Wild Turkey Came to a Fowl Ending 5. The Well-Dressed Turkey, or How the Turkey Trotted onto America's Table 6. Hale's Turkey Tale, or the Invention of Turkey Day 7. The Well-Bred Turkey, or How the Turkey Lost its Flavor 8. The Industrialized Turkey, or How the Turkey Became a Profit Center 9. The Social Turkey, or How the Turkey Became a Cultural Icon 10. The American Turkey, or How the Turkey Came Home to Roost Part II: Historical Turkey Recipes Part III: Turkey Bibliography Bibliography and Other Resources 5 Turkey and Poultry Organizations and Associations |"Virtually every page offers a fact worth recalling."—Chicago Tribune"A lively, literate tour of turkey lore."—Wall Street Journal
"Smith gives depth and authority to a subject we thought we knew. . . . The turkey covers vast terrain, and his book is invaluable to anyone in its pursuit."—Gastronomica
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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).
