Food Fight! A Mouthwatering History of Who Ate What and Why Through the Ages
Dedication I dedicate this book to YOU dear reader and to all the millions of other children around the world to better inspire you and them to be the greatest happiest healthiest and smartest people ever I also dedicate this to my sons William and Sanger Steel for whom my husband and I do everything and we mean that literally and figuratively and who will always be the light of our lives and souls Finally to my husband of more than two decades Bob Steel who is the sweetest and kindest person I know
Contents Introduction Safety Tips Chapter 1 The Prehistoric Era Cave Kids Catching Dinner and Camp Cookouts Chapter 2 Egypt Feasts for Mummies Mommies and Pharaohs Chapter 3 Greece Gods Goats and Greek Yogurt Chapter 4 Rome Chariots Circuses and Roast Cranes Chapter 5 Medieval Times Barbarians Braised Peacock and Damsels Sometimes in Distress Chapter 6 Mongols the Silk Road Genghis Gers and Yogurt Chapter 7 The Renaissance Turnspit Dogs Sugar Castles and Flying Machines Chapter 8 America Revolts Iced Tea False Teeth and Flummeries and Syllabubs Chapter 9 The French Revolution Terror Reigns Restaurants Debut and Few Eat Cake Chapter 10 The Industrial Revolution Children and Machines Enter the Workforce En Masse Chapter 11 World War I Hatred and Hunger Spread Chapter 12 America’s Great Depression Breadlines the Dust Bowl and a Crashing Economy Chapter 13 The World at War Again Food Rations Victory Gardens and Patriotic Pies Chapter 14 The Sixties Flower Power Apollo and Space-Age Food Chapter 15 Future World Imagined Life on Mars I can’t wait to dig in Food Timeline Acknowledgments Recipe Index Bibliography and Further Reading Index Credits Copyright 6 7 8 18 28 38 48 58 68 78 88 98 108 118 128 138 148 152 154 155 156 157 159 160
Introduction Food It nourishes you It gives you energy It keeps you alive But it also tells a story and can be a direct connection to the ancient past When you swirl that broccoli tree through a creamy bowl of hummus you’re doing more than eating a delicious and healthy snack You’re eating a food that Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra lapped up more than 2,000 years ago a dip that traveled across countries and centuries to become a favorite from the Middle East to the United States Food history is a window into the lives of our collective ancestors And you thought you were just grabbing a snack One thing’s for sure When hairy short humans started pulling greens from the earth berries off trees and grapes from a vine food became integral not just to their daily survival but to their happiness More important eating real nutrient-rich food provided energy for our species powerful brains And those big brains have been responsible for the history of the world all of the amazing breakthroughs and inventions all of the developments and yes many of the bad choices too Human history from the discovery of fire all the way up to what happened yesterday has always been powered by food And once you get a taste of the history of food get it you’ll be hungry to know more Want to know how animal stomachs were once used Or what was served with 10,000 biscuits at a rockin party in 1200 b c How about a surprising use for sheep poop After you’ve learned about the history you can taste it by using the recipes in each chapter that are inspired by or adapted from the eras in which they appear Be sure to upload photos of your version of the dishes at kidfoodfight com plus find more recipes to cook up or on Instagram with natgeofoodfight Remember knowledge determination good health the best you YOU can be So read on and start cooking up some big dreams P S A portion of the author’s proceeds from this book will go to national and inter national children’s charities so thank you for helping children in the United States and around the world Tanya Steel 6
Safety Tips We know you’re excited to get cooking but before you get started here are some safety tips we recommend you follow ALWAYS have adult supervision when cooking Always wash your hands Keep your kitchen and food surfaces clean Be sure to wash fruits and vegetables well before using Keep raw foods away from cooked foods Keep seafood eggs raw meat and poultry separate from other foods Wear short sleeves or roll up shirt sleeves while cooking to avoid getting burned Clip hair up or tie it back to avoid getting food in it Read the entire recipe and follow the directions Have an adult help when using the stove oven other electrical appliances and knives Have an adult show you the correct way to use the stove oven kitchen appliances and knives Keep your fingers away from the sharp edges of knives and always cut away from yourself when using a knife Be careful around hot surfaces and objects such as hot stoves ovens and dishes Use oven mitts gloves when handling hot pots pans and other objects Make sure that pot and pan handles are turned toward the back of the stove when cooking Clean up any food spills right away especially if the spill is on the floor a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Let’s cook up a storm 7
