This book is full of interesting facts about the origins of many foods and their names. It is easy to pick this book up, open it to a random spot, and start reading. Some of the entries are rather brief, although others are more in-depth. Overall, a good book if you're curious about such things as why spicy chicken wings are called "Buffalo Wings" and why Caesar has a salad named after him. ( )

If you like food, chances are you'll like this book.

Here we read about the "origins" of many of the foods we see and eat in our day to day lives. While some of what is put forth is based on hearsay and myth, it makes for an intresting read. You may learn about some of your favorite foods, or some that you wouldn't touch on a dare. Recipes for some foods are included at the end of the book.

This is one of those books that I refer to as bathroom reading as the blurbs on the foods are short enough to read a few in the time you have to spend there. ( )

Chicken A La King seeks to unravel the mysteries behind the names of our favorite foods. Sometimes it’s impossible to pinpoint a single origin – Buffalo Wings, the perpetually popular bar snack, have three different creation stories – so Steven Gilbar includes them all, leaving it to the reader to pick a favorite. An astounding number of foods are simply named after the place or person who invented them, but this isn’t always the case. For example, the Jerusalem Artichoke is neither an artichoke or from Jerusalem, but a kind of sunflower. But the plant, discovered by a French explorer in the Americas and brought back to Europe, is described as tasting artichoke-like, and as for the Jerusalem? Turns out that is an English corruption of the Italian word for sunflower, girasole.
Gilbar’s book is full of these curious little facts. A Bloody Mary isn’t named for the famous Tudor queen, a myth I previously would have sworn by, but for a girl at Chicago bar. General Tso’s Chicken is named for the renowned military leader of the Qing dynasty, but why is it named after him? No one knows!
At the back of the book are removable recipe cards for many of the different foods, so when you’ve finished reading about Lobster Newberg, Indian Pudding or Swedish Meatballs you can try your hand at making it. Quirky and fun, this little book will be a fun little gift for the foodies or the trivia lovers on your shopping list. ( )

This is a cute little book about food facts. I found it perfect for taking with me on trips to the doctor or other errands. I could read it for a few minutes here and there as there isn't a plot to get involved with and each food name listed just has a brief paragraph or two. I was hoping for more in depth information. I'd never heard of some of the dishes before and a list of ingredients would have been more enlightening. There are a few recipes included at the end of the book. It would have been nice to have more recipes and to refer to them throughout the rest of the book. ( )

This is a cute little book that is easy to pick up and read for a few minutes at a time. It is broken into small sections that humorously outline the history of different food names. If you are a fan of food lore and/or trivia you will want to pick this one up. ( )