Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies

What naughty joke is tucked inside every loaf of <I>pumpernickel</I>? Why do we call it a <I>Tootsie Roll</I>? How did a drunken brawl lead to the name <I>lobster Newburg</I>? What squiggly creature inspired the name of the pasta called <I>vermicelli</I>?</p><p><I><b>Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies</b></I> reveals the surprising stories behind the names we give to the foods we eat. With her witty engaging style Martha Barnette serves up a savory feast of history culture folklore and science.</p><p>Hailed by the <I>Los Angeles Times</I> as one of the The 100 Best Books of the Year <I><b>Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies</b></I> is a delectable exploration of the language of food and drink. For cooking enthusiasts and word lovers alike this book provides a smorgasbord of knowledge and bountiful food for thought.</p><p>Everything in it is delightful to learn. Barnette takes us through languages and across millennia in a charming style that starting with words describing things we eat turns out to offer endless food for thought.<br>--<I> The New Yorker</I></p><p>Truly delicious . . . a vast multicultural smorgasbord of our culinary delights . . . a tour de force.<br>-- Gene Bluestein <I> Los Angeles Times Book Review</I></p><p><I><b>Ladyfingers</b></I> will be savored by anyone with a fondness for food and a passion for language.<br>--Francine Prose <I>People</I> magazine</p><p>Why didn't anybody think of this before? . . . What fun Martha Barnette has made of it all every name for every dish explained and traced and jollied.<br>--William F. Buckley Jr.</p>