Better Than Homemade: Amazing Food That Changed the Way We Eat - Softcover

Wyman, Carolyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1931686424 ISBN 13: 9781931686426

Publisher: Quirk Books, 2004

Synopsis

(1)Who put the Minute in Minute Rice? (2)What, exactly, is Spam? (3)And why do Pringles come in a tennis ball can?

Discover the answers to all these questions and more in Better Than Homemade, a freewheeling illustrated history of the packaged foods industry. From Green Giant and Hamburger Helper to Jiffy Pop and Jell-O, syndicated columnist Carolyn Wyman reveals the fascinating origins of your favorite "food" products -- along with never-before published advertisements, innovative packaging (cheese in a can!?), and hilarious "unauthorized uses."
You'll learn that Birds Eye frozen foods were invented by an Arctic adventurer; Kool-Aid got its start from an 11-year-old entrepreneuer; and Twinkies were once used to capture a gang of escaped baboons. Perfect for fans of the Food Network's Unwrapped, this guide is the ultimate paean to processed pleasures!

(1) Afghan prince Attaullah Durrani, who brought the idea to General Foods.
(2) According to Spam's website, "Pork shoulder and ham, mostly." Mostly?!
(3) To answer consumer complaints that potato chips were greasy and broke too easily.

About this title

About the Author:

Carolyn Wyman is the author of Jell-O: A Biography, Spam: A Biography , I'm a Spam Fan , and The Kitchen Sink Cookbook . Her food column for Universal Press Syndicate runs in more than 100 papers nationwide. She has written for the Boston Globe , the Chris

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Homemaker Helpers: Foods that revolutionized the kitchen—freeing Mom from the role of kitchen slave
     Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables
     Minute Rice
     On-Cor Family-Size Entrees
     Hamburger Helper
     Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
     Potato Buds Instant Mashed Potatoes
     Marshmallow Fluff
     Shake ’n Bake
     Kool-Aid
     Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Powerful Packages: Foods with innovative product delivery systems
     Pillsbury Poppin’ Fresh Dough
     Easy Cheese Aerosol (a.k.a. Snack Mate)
     Jiffy Pop Popcorn
     Pringles Potato Chips
     I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Spray
     Reddi-wip
     PAM
     Lipton Cup-a-Soup
Triumphs of Technology: Foods that improve on Mother Nature
     Coffee-mate Non-Dairy Creamer
     Cool Whip
     Sweet ’N Low
     Tang
     Sanka
     Wonder Bread
     Minute Maid Orange Juice
     Bac-Os
     Beer Nuts
     Philadelphia Cream Cheese
     Carnation Instant Breakfast
Indestructibles and Recyclables: Foods for the long haul—plus recycled food-factory
scraps
     Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
     Twinkies
     SPAM
     Velveeta
     Slim Jim
     Cheez Whiz
     Mrs.Paul’s Fish Sticks
     Ore-Ida Tater Tots
Marketing Marvels: Advertising has made these must-eats
     Jell-O
     Parkay
     Clamato
     Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts
     SpaghettiOs
     Little Debbie Snack Cakes
     Green Giant Canned Peas
     Swanson TV Dinners
     Hawaiian Punch
Permissions and Trademarks
Index
Acknowledgments
Table of Equivalents

About this edition

• Publisher: Quirk Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1931686424
• ISBN 13: 9781931686426
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144