Discover why Roman gladiators were massaged with onion juice before battle, how celery contributed to Casanova's conquests, how peas almost poisoned General Washington, and why some seventeenth-century turnips were considered degenerate. Rebecca Rupp tells the strange and fascinating history of 23 of the world's most popular vegetables. Gardeners, foodies, history buffs, and anyone who wants to know the secret stories concealed in a salad are sure to enjoy this delightful and informative collection. Unearth incredible tales of how well-known vegetables have made their way from the dinner plate to the annals of human experience. Rebecca Rupp has written more than a dozen books for children and adults, including Weather! and How Carrots Won the Trojan War. She holds a PhD in cell biology and biochemistry and has written hundreds of articles for magazines, including Country Journal, Early American Life, Mother Earth News, Natural History, and Utne Reader. She lives in Vermont. Introduction: Vegetables In and Out of the Garden
One: In Which Asparagus Seduces the King of France
Two: In Which Beans Beat Back the Dark Ages
Three: In Which Beets Make Victorian Belles Blush
Four: In Which Cabbage Confounds Diogenes
Five: In Which Carrots Win the Trojan War
Six: In Which Celery Contributes to Casanova's Conquests
Seven: In Which Corn Creates Vampires
Eight: In Which Cucumbers Imitate Pigeons
Nine: In Which An Eggplant Causes a Holy Man to Faint
Ten: In Which Lettuce Puts Insomniacs to Sleep
Eleven: In Which Melons Undermine Mark Twain's Morals
Twelve: In Which Onions Offend Don Quixote
Thirteen: In Which Peas Almost Poison General Washington
Fourteen: In Which Peppers Win the Nobel Prize
Fifteen: In Which Potatoes Baffle the Conquistadors
Sixteen: In Which Pumpkins Attend the World's Fair
Seventeen: In Which Radishes Identify Witches
Eighteen: In Which Spinach Deceives a Generation of Children
Nineteen: In Which Tomatoes Fail to Kill Colonel Johnson
Twenty: In Which Turnips Make a Viscount Famous "Rebecca Rupp has done us the favor of serving up a savory history of something many of us don't think much about-vegetables. . . . How Carrots Won the Trojan War assembles a palatable cornucopia of these stories, both satisfying and delicious." -Edible Notes "Honestly, this might be the most delightful, laugh-yourself-silly title to make its way onto the garden bookshelf in a long, long time." How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (But True) Stories of Common Vegetables is a delightful romp into the history of the vegetables gracing our common tables from noted expert and author Rebecca Rupp.
