12,300+ cookbooks Ships from the US · 30-day returns
👤 My Account
🌍 Regional & Cultural

Peanuts, Pickles and Peppercorns: Further Adventures in Culinary History

✍️ La Boone, John A, III
Reader Score
4.4
(1 review)
$14.95
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A humorous guide to food origins with easy recipes from John A. La Boone III.

La Boone combines historical anecdotes with practical cooking instructions in this accessible volume. He examines the journey of human food quests and the cultural links that formed around ingredients like peanuts and pickles. The text avoids dense academic language, opting instead for a style that entertains while it informs. Readers find recipes for items like kimchi alongside explanations of their history. The approach makes the material suitable for casual cooks and history buffs alike. Reviews from educators and editors confirm the blend of tasty dishes and interesting facts works well for a broad audience.

Key Themes
culinary history food origins cultural associations
Literary Context

Published in 2007 by iUniverse, this book sits within the genre of general cooking and regional cultural studies. It reflects a mid-2000s interest in accessible food history that connects everyday ingredients to broader human narratives. The work appeals to American readers looking for light, informative reading about the foods they eat daily.

Difficulty
● Easy
Recommended For Fans Of
Bill Bryson · The Food Lab · Salt Fat Acid Heat
🌍
Regional & Cultural
🏛 iUniverse 📅 2007 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780595442508
📚 This Book in Collections

📝 Description: Peanuts, Pickles and Peppercorns: Further Adventures in Culinary History

John A. La Boone III presents a collection of culinary history in Peanuts, Pickles and Peppercorns. The author draws on his background as a writer to explore the origins of common foods and the cultural stories attached to them. This paperback volume offers readers a mix of historical insight and practical kitchen guidance. The text explains how human beings have sought food throughout history and the humorous associations that developed along the way. The book includes recipes for dishes such as kimchi and homemade peanut butter. It also covers the preparation of edible bugs and the use of peppercorns. La Boone organizes these entries to provide fascinating insights into where favorite foods came from. The content is designed for food enthusiasts and general readers who enjoy humor and interesting facts. Dr. Liz Jordan notes that the recipes are easy to fix and the history is fascinating. Rose Aldridge praises the wealth of information and entertaining style. Louise Mancill highlights the book as a great read with lots of humor. This work suits those interested in the cultural background of their meals. It may not appeal to readers seeking strict academic citations or complex gourmet techniques. The focus remains on accessible history and scrumptious recipes that can be prepared at home. The author uses his columns as a source for these engaging stories about food traditions.

💎 Expert review

“
🍳
Eatbook Family editorial team
Cookbook desk
This book succeeds by balancing historical context with approachable recipes, making it a pleasant read for those who enjoy food lore. The author avoids heavy academic jargon, ensuring the content remains light and engaging for a broad audience. However, readers seeking complex gourmet techniques or rigorous scholarly analysis will likely find this work too simplistic. It is best appreciated as a leisurely companion for casual cooking rather than a serious culinary textbook.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —
⭐ eatbookfamily.com editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5
★★★★★
This volume suits casual home cooks and history enthusiasts who enjoy learning while preparing meals. It is ideal for readers seeking accessible culinary guides that blend practical recipes with engaging cultural anecdotes without requiring advanced technical skills or extensive prior knowledge of…

Reader rating

4.4
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
E
Eatbook Family editorial team

This book succeeds by balancing historical context with approachable recipes, making it a pleasant read for those who enjoy food lore. The author avoids heavy academic jargon, ensuring the content remains light and engaging for a broad audience. However, readers seeking complex gourmet techniques or rigorous scholarly analysis will likely find this work too simplistic. It is best appreciated as a leisurely companion for casual cooking rather than a serious culinary textbook.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Yes, the text combines historical anecdotes with practical cooking instructions and includes recipes for items like kimchi.
152 pages, paperback.
Published in 2007 by iUniverse.
Orders ship from a US warehouse. The shipping cost is shown before you pay, and returns are accepted within 30 days.

📖 Who should read this

This volume suits casual home cooks and history enthusiasts who enjoy learning while preparing meals. It is ideal for readers seeking accessible culinary guides that blend practical recipes with engaging cultural anecdotes without requiring advanced technical skills or extensive prior knowledge of food science.

📜 Historical context

La Boone joins the tradition of culinary history books by merging factual narratives with usable cooking instructions. Unlike dense academic texts, this work prioritizes entertainment alongside education. It fits comfortably among general reference cookbooks that aim to inform readers about ingredient origins while providing straightforward guidance for kitchen application.

✍️ More books by this author La Boone, John A, III

All books by this author →
Around the World of Food: Adventures in Culinary History
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
La Boone, John A, III
Around the World of Food: Adventures in Culinary History
$13.95
82

🏛 Books from this publisher iUniverse

All books from this publisher →
Kosher Salt and Exotic Spices: An Adventure in Kosher Cooking
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Sharyn J Rosler, J Rosler
Kosher Salt and Exotic Spices: An Adventure in Kosher Cooking
$19.95
88
Yetta's 'Old Country' Family Favorites: "From the Villages of the Ukraine to the Oklahoma Great Plains"
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Seigel Levine, Kathryn
Yetta's 'Old Country' Family Favorites: "From the Villages of the Ukraine to the Oklahoma Great Plains"
$11.95
90
Now You're Cookin'-with Tea
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Rubinstein, Marv
Now You're Cookin'-with Tea
$16.95
90
Dinner and Dessert with Victoria
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Cooksey, Victoria L
Dinner and Dessert with Victoria
$19.95
83
The Small Town Big Kitchen Cookbook: Cooking with Family and Friends
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Vitalone, Annette Marie
The Small Town Big Kitchen Cookbook: Cooking with Family and Friends
$15.95
79
Nuttin' But Pecans: A Collection of Pecan Recipes
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
King, Rosie
Nuttin' But Pecans: A Collection of Pecan Recipes
$11.95
81
I'd Rather Eat Than Act: 2nd Edition
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Millay, Diana
I'd Rather Eat Than Act: 2nd Edition
$15.95
87
Cooking with Cooksey
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Cooksey, Victoria L
Cooking with Cooksey
$17.95
83

You might also like

See more →
Around the World of Food: Adventures in Culinary History
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
La Boone, John A, III
Around the World of Food: Adventures in Culinary History
$13.95
82
Just Me Cookin Cakes
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
Schrandt, Dawn Marie
Just Me Cookin Cakes
$33.95
91
Astrological Gastronomy: Temperamental Cooking Explained
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Rusk, James J
Astrological Gastronomy: Temperamental Cooking Explained
$15.95
90
Now You're Cookin'-with Tea
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Rubinstein, Marv
Now You're Cookin'-with Tea
$16.95
90
Curries and Kababs: Indian Recipes Spiced with Reminiscences
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Sen, Dipali
Curries and Kababs: Indian Recipes Spiced with Reminiscences
$16.95
90
Yetta's 'Old Country' Family Favorites: "From the Villages of the Ukraine to the Oklahoma Great Plains"
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Seigel Levine, Kathryn
Yetta's 'Old Country' Family Favorites: "From the Villages of the Ukraine to the Oklahoma Great Plains"
$11.95
90
Memories From Home: Cooking with Family & Friends
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Weiss, Linda
Memories From Home: Cooking with Family & Friends
$22.95
90
An Almost Kosher Cookbook Or Our Family Recipes
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Rosler, Sharyn J
An Almost Kosher Cookbook Or Our Family Recipes
$18.95
89
From Cuba With Love: Recipes and Memories
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Abella, Ramona V
From Cuba With Love: Recipes and Memories
$27.95
89
Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist