Tom Piperson's Pig And Other Culinary Surprises Book

Toad-in-the-hole?

Bouncing Babies?

Dutchman's Breeches?

These are things to eat?!?!

Thelma Minard thinks so as she takes the reader through a bit of history, geography, and human interest stories, telling of foods that are not described by their names. You will wonder about people remembered by foods named for them: Johnnie Pesuky, Sally Lunn, and Eric Jannsen. She tempts with sweets and savories that sound like items found in a clothing museum: turbans, shawls, breeches, buckles. You'll meet all manner of people - lumberjacks, captains, and hermits, as well as animals - porcupines, rabbits, monkeys, and, of course, pigs.

This unique collection of recipes provides enjoyable reading while offering practical answers to the constant question of "what's to eat?" While the table of contents will pique one's interest, an extensive index will make it easy to find specific dishes. The original illustrations add clarity in some cases and whimsy in others.

Thelma Minard learned to cook as a child at the side of her Alsatian grandmother. In the 1920s and 30s, it was all "old-fashioned" cooking, and her Nana served only wholesome, plain food. Her father fostered her love of reading and writing as they perused secondhand bookstalls along Third Avenue in New York City and read together each night. When she married, and then raised her family of seven children, she continued to write, focusing on what she knew: child development and how to provide nutritious, delicious, and often intriguing meals on a budget.

Mrs. Minard has written for My Baby Magazine, Navy Times, The Washington Post, and The New Hampshire Star. This is her first book. She now lives in Woodbridge, VA where she is actively involved: leading the Kitchen Band, doing water aerobics, writing her memoirs, and traveling. She will celebrate her 90th birthday shortly after publication of this book.