Great Books

Ever since Darwin and The Descent of Man, the existence of humans has been attributed to our intelligence and adaptability. But in Catching Fire, renowned primatologist Richard Wrangham presents a startling alternative: our evolutionary success is the result of cooking. In a groundbreaking theory of our origins, Wrangham shows that the shift from raw to cooked foods was the key factor in human evolution. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity began. Once our hominid ancestors began cooking their food, the human digestive tract shrank and the brain grew. Time once spent chewing tough raw food could be sued instead to hunt and to tend camp. Cooking became the basis for pair bonding and marriage, created the household, and even led to a sexual division of labor. Tracing the contemporary implications of our ancestors’ diets, Catching Fire sheds new light on how we came to be the social, intelligent, and sexual species we are today. A pathbreaking new theory of human evolution, Catching Fire will provoke controversy and fascinate anyone interested in our ancient origins—or in our modern eating habits.

200 Great Tasting Recipes

Famous for its exotic flavors and aromas, Thai cuisine offers culinary delights too numerous to describe. Suffice to say that the blending of the cuisines of the Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Vietnamese cultures produces the delightful mouthwatering contrasts of sweet, sour, and hot spicy tastes. Master chef, Sukhum Kittivech, the owner of the popular Chan Dara restaurants, has selected 100 authentic and popular Thai dishes that are sure to please the palates of those who partake of the exotic dishes. Among the recipes offered are Pad Thai, Beef Panang, Shrimp & Pineapple Curry, Chicken Coconut Soup to Fried Bananas and more. Most of the recipes are very easy to follow, with special sections on frequently used ingredients, seasonings, condiments and special sauces. All recipes are accompanied by full color pictures to assist the reader in proper dish presentation. This is an essential addition to Wei-Chuan¡¦s ¡§International Cuisine Series¡¨, and a ¡§must have¡¨ to the amateur as well as serious cooking aficionado.

The ancient Indian system of healing and medicine known as Ayurveda has proven effective in disease prevention and health creation for thousands of years. Ayurvedic medicine works by enlivening the body’s inner intelligence and enhancing the immunity of the individual. It treats the disease at the source rather than the symptoms alone, without adverse side effects or creating a new disease. Popularized in the United States by Deepak Chopra and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Ayurveda has become well known and is used extensively throughout North America as a holistic alternative both to allopathic and to homeopathic medicine. In this comprehensive guide to Ayurvedic cooking—complete with a set of delicious and easy-to-make recipes—physician and naturopath Dr. Kumuda Reddy shows you how to determine whether your body type is vata, pitta, or kapha, so that you can optimize your individual health through healthy and nutritious meals that suit your body type.

Spend any amount of time in the outdoors and you have probably found that mealtime is full of trade-offs. Do you choose foods that fuel your body or foods that satisfy your taste buds? Do you spend the extra time to prepare a real meal or grab a protein bar on the go? Freezer Bag Cooking™ minimizes these trade-offs by changing the concepts of traditional outdoor food. It offers simplicity, convenience and variety and whirls them together with the philosophies of lightweight outdoor adventuring. The cooking gear needed is minimal, lightweight and can be bought, found or even made. When ready to eat, the meal is prepared in and eaten out of the freezer bag. Mealtime becomes fast, effortless and cleanup is as easy as licking your utensil and sealing the zip top bag. So whether you like to be fancy with your food or keep it simple, “Freezer Bag Cooking™: Trail Food Made Simple” can be your ticket to better eating and enjoyment of your outdoor experience

Bilingual: English and Mexican (Spanish).

Everyone loves a home-cooked meal--even babies and toddlers! Experts agree that homemade baby food is the healthiest way to feed young children. By making their own baby food, parents can drastically reduce the sugar, salt, artificial colors, fillers, additives, and preservatives in their child's diet. And now making baby food from scratch has never been easier--with this practical, user-friendly cookbook by Martha and David Kimmel, founders of the phenomenally successful Mommy Made* line of baby and toddler food.Updated for a special 10th anniversary edition, Mommy Made* is filled with 140 easy-to-make recipes that are perfect for introducing your baby to wholesome solid foods. These delicious, kid-tested dishes--which include finger foods, shakes and smoothies, snacks on the go, spoonable treats, and a variety of table dishes--were created with your baby's special nutritional needs in mind, and will help your child establish healthful eating habits that will last a lifetime. Mommy Made* also includes: Nutrition advice from birth to three years--incorporating guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics A blueprint for when and how to get your baby started on solid food Answers to parents' most frequently asked questions: from milk and protein needs to determining portion size, preventing "hunger strikes," and detecting food allergies Tips on pureeing, straining, and mashing, as well as storage, thawing and reheating, and using the microwave A handy nutrition glossary, food pyramid, and list of helpful websites And much more!

Increasing awareness of the therapeutic properties of marijuana — to ease muscle tension, relieve pain, promote appetite, and induce overall relaxation — has generated widespread interest in its use as a medicine. Without question, the best and safest medicinal application of marijuana is through ingestion. In Marijuana Cooking: Good Medicine Made Easy, authors Bliss Cameron and Veronica Green guide would-be chefs through the process of making their own tasty and healthy home remedies using marijuana as the main ingredient. Five different methods of preparing pot for use in the kitchen are provided with step-by-step instructions, as well as advice on personalizing dosage and substituting ingredients to account for different tastes and medical conditions. The recipes include Bliss Balls, Butterscotch Blondies, Honey Chocolate Brownies, Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread, and Honey Pumpkin Bread. Lush, high-quality photographs of actual marijuana dishes grace nearly every page, making the book a delight for the eyes as well as the body.

Authentic French cuisine clearly explained for every cook, with easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photographs for every recipe

Here is the cookbook for people who want to cook Chinese food but are afraid that it is too time-consuming and complicated. Most of these recipes can be prepared in about 30 minutes using the oven, microwave, and nonstick pans in place of the traditional wok. 250 color photographs.