Cupboard Love:
A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities

By Mark Morton

On the shelves now is the second, revised edition of Cupboard Love and a must-own for etymologists, food etymologists in particular. In 330 pages, Morton defines origins of words such as the bain-marie, what is banyan day? How about the word, cornucopia, the corsned, hyppogastronomy or sesame?

 For instance, the word, tiramisu” is:  “The name of this dessert comes from the Italian phrase, tira mi su, literally meaning pick me up, probably because the coffee-soaked sponge cake provides a slight caffeine boost. “Tiramisu” began to appear in England in the early 1980s. Much earlier, in the mid nineteenth century, pick-me-up, itself emerged as a name for a stimulating drink, one intended to perk up the imbiber.”  

Cupboard Love is full of these morsels, makes a lovely gift.

© Marty Martindale, 2005, Largo FL