Description
Book SynopsisAntelope and porcupines in Africa, feral cats and wild goats in Australia and deer, pheasants and rabbits in the USA and Europe are just a few of the world's game animals, or creatures hunted for food. Game has been central to the development of humanity and forms a core part of cultures - and meat industries - from the Amazon to the Arctic. In Game, the first culinary overview of the subject, Paula Young Lee describes the fascinating history of a food so diverse it ranges from luxury good to staple of the poor. The animals we hunt as game have varied over history - quail and dormice were once so avidly pursued that they became semi-domesticated, and dishes like bear paws, reindeer pate and lark pie have seen their popularity come and go. The politics of hunting have also come into play, from the earliest hunting laws to today's quotas and efforts at sustainability, and made certain game more desirable: cookbooks once instructed readers how to disguise beef as the more elegant and coveted venison. Featuring unusual recipes for many little-eaten animals and cuts of meat, Game will be gobbled up by readers.
Trade Review'Books in Reaktion's Edible series are paragons of their type; concise and flavourful, jammed with interesting facts, period photos and just a handful of recipes, in case you want to "do it yourself". I recommend these books to foodies and academics alike.'
- Robert Sietsema, restaurant critic for The Village Voice 'Embellished with clever illustrations and a nice selection of historical and contemporary recipes ... [an] outstanding series of food volumes.' - Wall Street Journal
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Hunting of the Snark: A Brief Overview of Game 2. The Culinary Crucible: Of Law and Lusciousness 3. It Tastes Like Chicken: Falconry, Trapping and Subsistence Hunting 4. The Raw and the Cooked: Making Your Own Meat 5. The Forlorn Table Recipes Select Bibliography Websites and Associations Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index
