Sherry Monahan

 
Overview

Distilleries are the new microbreweries, cropping up all over the West and producing brands that emulate the predecessors that were made in copper stills by emigrants and served in saloons and dance halls. This history of the spirit and its origins and migration across the country—and its place in shaping the West—celebrates the story of the golden elixir through first-hand accounts, evocative photographs, and historic cocktail recipes. Whiskey was the golden elixir of the West and king of the distilled spirits. It was an integral part of the great western expansion and has strong ties to early explorers, pioneers, the railroads, and the cattle era. It was sold as medicine, used to barter with, and often gave courage where there was none. Whiskey’s role in shaping the West, and its rise to prominence over rum or vodka, has its roots in the early days of the United States. It’s a story of taxes, availability, and profits.

 
Overview

Celebrate the Holidays Old West Style

Holidays on the frontier were a time for celebration, stopping work and chores, and honoring their purpose. This book includes stories of all the biggest celebrations, including traditions, food, songs, games, and other fun tidbits. Fifty food and drink recipes and the rules for typical parlor games of the time are included along with sidebars on common gifts of the time. First-hand accounts, newspaper articles, journals, photos, and Victorian memorabilia complete the package.

 
Overview

Recipes and Tales from Campfires, Cookouts and Chuck Wagons.

In this book you’ll find everything from chuckwagon recipes to dutch-oven favorites for your own campfire. The Cowboy’s Cookbook features recipes, photos, and lore celebrating the cowboy’s role in the shaping of the American West. From songs sung around the campfire after hearty meals of steak, beans, and skillet cornbread to the recipes you’ll need to recreate those trailside meals in your own kitchen, this book will get you in touch with the spirit of the Old West.

 
Overview

Frontier Fare will whet your appetite with tasty historical recipes and includes some great stories to go along with them. Surprisingly, not all food eaten in the west was steak and beans. It was the Victorian era and people were dining on classic French cuisines, imported goods, and oysters! It was considered “bon ton and tony” to dine on items like those. Frontier Fare gives you the recipes to cook up dishes like Salmon Baked a la Richelieu, Saratoga chips, and oyster stew. There are also plenty of good old-fashioned recipes like rice pudding, pot pie, and turkey. It later became trendy to dine on exotic dishes like chop suey, curries, and tamales.

Frontier Fare describes how pioneers cooked, what utensils they used, how they adapted their recipes to local ingredients, and more. You’ll be amused with the mix of comical and odd anecdotal stories that accompany many of the recipes—like the chuck wagon cooky who lost his pants to a hungry cow! Then there’s the man who served cement pudding to his fellow diners and the woman who tried to poison her husband!

Use Frontier Fare to plan a western-themed or Victorian-style dinner party. You can choose between chuck wagon grub, 19th century restaurant fare, granny’s good old-fashioned cooking or others, which are separated into specific chapters.

No matter how you use the recipes, have a blast cooking up some history, with all the 21st century conveniences the pioneers would likely envy. Cheers!

 
Overview

Taste history in a bottle!

This delicious book traces the genealogical roots of the wine pioneers of California. Learn about men and women like Agoston Haraszthy, Charles Krug, Jacob Schram, Edoardo Seghesio, Isabelle Simi, and Lillie Langtry.

Discover the history of 60+ wineries–all have historic ties to old wineries or old vineyards. Included are chapters on Napa, Sonoma, and a “Blend of others” who have historic winery ties.

There are also about twenty-five recipes handed down from generations of winemakers. After reading this book, you’ll be able to sample history in a bottle from them all!

She likes to say, “History Never Tasted So Good!”

 
Overview

Tombstone was one of the last great boomtowns of the Old West—a small city that grew up overnight and has a larger-than-life presence in the mythology of the frontier. In its heyday it was full of saloons, dance halls, and fancy eateries, a cosmopolitan oasis in territorial Arizona. The Tombstone Cookbook is packed with more than 120 recipes inspired by Tombstone's historic eateries and adapted for the modern home cook. Readers will also enjoy learning more about the region's history and lore through sidebars and historic photos.