Ranking alongside Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as a novel that has galvanized public opinion, The Jungle tells the story of Jurgis Rudkus, a young immigrant who came to the New World to find a better life. Instead, he is confronted with the horrors of the slaughterhouses, barbarous working conditions, crushing poverty, disease, and despair.

Upton Sinclair vividly depicted factory life in Chicago in the first years of the twentieth century, and the harrowing scenes he related aroused the indignation of the public and forced a government investigation that led to the passage of pure food laws. A hundred years later, The Jungle continues to pack the same emotional power it did when it was first published.

Paperback.

Laura Ingalls's story begins in 1871 in a little log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Four-year-old Laura lives in the little house with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack.

Pioneer life is sometimes hard, since the family must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But it is also exciting as Laura and her folks celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do the spring planting, bring in the harvest, and make their first trip into town. And every night they are safe and warm in their little house, with the happy sound of Pa's fiddle sending Laura and her sisters off to sleep.

Paperback. Comes with fiddle charm!

Share the unsurpassed pleasures of discovering, cooking, and eating good, simple food with this beloved book. Equal parts cookbook and memoir, Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking combines her insightful, good-humored writing style with her lifelong passion for wonderful cuisine in essays such as Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, Repulsive Dinners: A Memoir, and Stuffed Breast of Veal: A Bad Idea. Home Cooking is truly a feast for the body and soul.

Studying for that bartenders exam, or just looking for an exciting drink to whip up at home, this book has it all.

Nearing thirty and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, Julie Powell resovled to reclaim her life by cooking, in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves' livers andaspic, but a new life -- lived with gusto.

Whether acclaimed food writer Madhur Jaffrey was climbing the mango trees in her grandparents' orchard in Delhi or picnicking in the Himalayan foothills on meatballs stuffed with raisins and mint, tucked into freshly baked spiced pooris, today these childhood pleasures evoke for her the tastes and textures of growing up.

This memoir is both an enormously appealing account of an unusual childhood and a testament to the power of food to prompt memory, vividly bringing to life a lost time and place. Included here are recipes for more than thirty delicious dishes recovered from Jaffrey's childhood.

In 1971, it was nearly impossible to find a cappuccino or a croissant in this country, and goat cheese and mesclun were virtually unheard of. Then a Francophile named Alice Waters and her motley coterie of dreamers turned an old stucco house in Berkeley into the birthplace of a new food culture _ one that incorporated fresh, local ingredients and progressive ideas in a venue reminscent of a Marseille waterfront tavern. It was called Chez Panisse and Waters would eventually be called the mother of american cooking. Based on unprecedented access to Waters and her inner circle, this authorized biography offers an intimate portrait of the maverick who reeducated the American palate.

The time has come to redeem and reclaim the humble casserole, in all its baked, cheese-topped glory. Hearty, no-fuss, and old-school delicious, the classic and updated casserole recipes in this collection will leave traditionalists and trendy foodies alike hungering for more.

Keep an eye out for Brooklyn Kitchen's Casserole Tastings with Emily Farris. Coming in November!
Casserole-crazy Emily Farris has collected 125 variations on this theme that will have eaters sneaking back to the buffet for seconds -- and thirds. With recipes from cooking pros -- including Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, and Donatella Arpaia -- friends, and family, this quirky collection presents the best ideas of the mix, from Beefy Mac to Five Ps Italian Casserole, Classic Tuna Noodle to Zucchini and Sweet Corn Bake. And since it includes vegetarian, vegan, and lactose- and glucose-free alternatives, everyone can go casserole crazy.

In the rich tradition of passing recipes from generation to generation, the Historic Preservation Society of South Pittsburg, Tennessee has assembled a great collection of over 230 Lodge Cast Iron Recipes.

Vegan cupcakes will take over the world. Better to give in sooner than later and make this a smooth transition. After all, they're so delicious, easy to make, adorable and portable, these little cuppers are sure to be the beginning of a dairy-free baking revolution.

In this sweet and sassyguide, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of the smash-hit cookbook Vegan with a Vengeance, and Terry Hope Romero serve up a batch of everyone's favorite dessert. Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World unleashes more than 75 recipes for cupcakes and frostings -- some innovative, some classics -- with beautiful color photographs.

Every single recipe has been tested to perfection, so sneak these 'cakes into any party and watch them win over the crowd. Indulge in:

-Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes
-Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cupcakes
-S'mores Cupcakes
-Lemon Macadamia Cupcakes
-Mucho Margarita Cupcakes
-Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
-Cappuccino Cupckes filled with Espresso Creme

You'l also learn Isa and Terry's secrets to no-fail baking, inspired decorating, piping like a pro, and shopping for vegan ingredients, plus true cupcake anecdotes from the trenches. When Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, no dessert lover can resist.

Rarely has a man defined the spirit of an age as well as Alexis Soyer, popular hero of the Crimean War. Soyer designed the famous kitchens of the Reform Club, which he filled with ingenious inventions such as the gas stove. He devised the sauces that would make household names of Mr. Crosse and Mr. Blackwell and he set up revolutionary soup kitchens during the Irish potato famine. Later in his career, he travelled to the Crimea where he transformed army catering, saving many soldiers from starvation. Yet this heroic figure was also a secret bigamist and alcoholic who died penniless and dropped completely from public view after his untimely death. Today the grave of one of the most enigmatic and extraordinary figures of the Victorian age lies neglected in Kensal Green cemetery.

There may be a bistro on every block in Paris, but distinguishing the exceptional from the ordinary isn't easy. This discriminating little guide, first published in France, offers an insider's tour of the best. The 51 bistros profiled here stand apart from the others by virtue of their food (often regional dishes native to the owner's home province), superb wines from small vineyards, and that certain je ne sais quoi -- an authentic atmosphere that makes each bistro an unforgettable place to enjoy a morning coffee, sip an afternoon aperitif, or savor a memorable meal in the most charming Parisian settings.