Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies: From Spare Ribs to Humble Pie--A Lighthearted Look at How Foods Got Their Names

by Martha Barnette

Book Overview

"Everything in this book is delightful to learn. Barnette takes us through languages and across millennia in a charming style . . . that offers endless food for thought." --The New Yorker What makes the pretzel a symbol of religious devotion, and what pasta is blasphemous in every bite? How did a drunken brawl lead to the name lobster Newburg? What naughty joke is contained in a loaf of pumpernickel? Why ischerry a misnomer, and why aren't refried...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375702989
• ISBN13: 9780375702983
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

If Your Recipes Include Foods AND Words...

I admit I'm a lover of both food and words, so this delicious book seemed the right menu choice when I borrowed it from the library recently. I was not disappointed; I have since purchased my own copy for reference in my food writing. The book is erudite, of course, but delightfully so. The origins of many of our food terms may indeed be obscure, but now that I have feasted on this little masterpiece, I no longer feel comfortable eating things with titles I cannot explain. Martha Barnette does go off on tangents that some may find vexing, explaining word relations that only begin with cuisine, but in doing so she adds richness to the stew. Both food and language are quintessentially civilizing; she's melded the two into an important book for any culinary or literary shelf.Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com

Deliciously funny AND nourishing for the mind

I've never written one of these reviews, but I just had to stop by and say what a big kick I got out of Martha Barnette's clever book. I bought it because I love food and cooking, but after reading "Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies", I also bought a copy to send to my sister, because she's one of those people who're crazy about words and their origins.If you're like us, you'll learn a whole lot from this little book -- and enjoy a whole lot of laughs in the process!

A "feast of words" for any lover of food and language.

I LOVED this book! The author has an amazing range of knowledge, both about the kitchen and about words, but what's truly wonderful is her terrific sense of humor, which makes learning all this stuff so much fun.I mean, who knew that Tootsie Rolls were named after a little girl or that Twinkies were named after shoes? Or that German chocolate cake isn't really German and Swiss steak isn't really Swiss? Or that the Italians like to nibble a plum they call a "nun's thigh," while the Dutch like to chow down on a dish of string beans and navy beans with a picturesque name that translates: "bare buttocks in the grass"?This is the perfect gift for the cook or food lover who has everything!

Interesting but could be improved with food photos.

I enjoyed this romp through gastronomic etymology. But the publisher should have printed in a more readable type-face, included pictures of the foods discussed, and edited out some of the redundancies. Also, the footnotes are too small to read easily, and much too detailed. It runs between a scholarly work and a Martha Stuart Living magazine. But I look forward to anything else written by Barnette, and I will devour it as I did this book (so to speak)

It's intelligent AND funny!

This is one of the best word books I have ever seen. It's intelligent without being dry, and hilarious without being sophomoric. You can dip through it like selecting all the cream centers from a box of chocolates; or you can just start at the beginning and devour the whole thing in one hedonistic draught. "Nun's Tummies" is also featured on a killer Website,