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JELL-O: A Biography [Paperback]

Carolyn Wyman (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)


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Book Description

Harvest Original October 31, 2001
The author of SPAM: A Biography is back again-This time with the definitive biography of an even bigger edible American icon: JELL-0!

Who didn't grow up on JELL-O gelatin? Hospitals dished it out after your tonsils were removed and Mom always had a box stashed away in case of a dessert emergency.

For more than one hundred years, Jell-O has reigned as "America's Most Famous Dessert," selling more than one million packages a day and more than 500 million each year.

But where and when and how did it all begin? No one is more qualified than junk food authority Carolyn Wyman to tell the whole amazing truth of this fruit flavored dessert.

Complete with over two hundred photographs and illustrations, JELL-O: A Biography uncovers everything from the history of the product and its marketing and sales strategies through the year to off-the-wall recipes and alternative uses such as Jell-O shots and Jell-O wrestling.

Jell-O is not just a food product, it is part of America's history and culture. Painstakingly researched and playfully presented, JELL-O: A Biography is the sweet story of the primordial slime's success and a fabulously entertaining read. After all, there's always room for Jell-O.

AMAZING BUT TRUE:
Little-known facts about America's Most Famous Dessert
-- By the 1920s Jell-O was served as a good ol' American welcome treat to immigrants at Ellis Island.
--Though Jell-O sponsored his radio show for years, according to his wife, Jack Benny "never ate the stuff."
--Who does eat it? Residents of Salt Lake City and Des Moines are neck-and-neck in annual Jell-O consumption-a competition they take very seriously.
--As a teenager, actor John Malkovich lost 70 pounds in 6 months on a Jell-O only diet.
--In Cecil B. De Mille's 1923 production of The Ten Commandments, Moses's parted Red Sea was created by superimposing running actors onto footage of a quivering strawberry Jell-O mold.
--A salad or a dessert? The great debate continues . . .




Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carolyn Wyman follows Spam: A Biography with JELL-O: A Biography to honor the shimmering staple now in its second century. Invented in 1897 by Pearle Wait, the processed food was ahead of its time and immediately worked its sweet way into the hearts and stomachs of America. In war and peace, sickness and health, Jell-O was there. Jack Benny and Bill Cosby were both spokesmen for the products and a cut-up Jell-O box figured in the conviction of spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Chock full of history, lore and ephemera as well as recipes for main courses and desserts, ideas for crafts, and just plain silly stuff, this one little volume delivers, just as "the dainty dessert" has always done.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

PRAISE FOR SPAM: A BIOGRAPHY
"Syndicated newspaper columnist Carolyn Wyman's witty, extensively illustrated
overview playfully mixes Spam's history with examples of its use and abuse. . . .
Bottom line: Unexpectedly tasty dish."-People
"An affectionate tribute to the mushy, pink concoction of pork and ham that has
been slithering onto dinner tables around the world."-Los Angeles Times
"Wyman is the perfect biographer for Spam, never losing her ability
to write tongue-in-cheek."-San Francisco Examiner

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (October 31, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0156011239
  • ISBN-13: 978-0156011235
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain fun!, December 15, 2001
This review is from: JELL-O: A Biography (Paperback)
Filled with TONS of interesting (and hilarious) info about Jell-O. A real riot!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Blends a culinary history with a recipe book, December 8, 2001
This review is from: JELL-O: A Biography (Paperback)
Jell-O blends a culinary history with a recipe book, following the story of jello's evolution as a famous desert and offering recipes for both main dishes and desserts. It lacks an index, so you'll have to read the book if you want the recipe for Spider cakes and other classics. Humor also blends in as chapters discuss the promotion of jell-o.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, May 2, 2004
This review is from: JELL-O: A Biography (Paperback)
This book is amusing and informative. It is full of more facts about Jell-O than you can shake a stick at! The history of Jell-O and the marketing of Jell-O are explored in great detail (did you know that 500 million packages of Jell-O are sold each year?).

But, best of all, this book is full lots of amazing Jell-O recipes. As soon as I finished this book, I went thrift shopping for Jell-O molds!

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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