by Carolyn Wyman

From the publisher: Who put the Minute in Minute Rice? What, exactly, is Spam? And why do Pringles come in a tennis ball can?

Discover the answers to all these questions and more in Better Than Homemade, a freewheeling illustrated history of the packaged foods industry. From Green Giant and Hamburger Helper to Jiffy Pop and Jell-O, syndicated columnist Carolyn Wyman reveals the fascinating origins of your favorite “food” products-along with never-before-published advertisements, innovative packaging (cheese in a can!?), and hilarious “unauthorized uses.”

You’ll learn that Birds Eye frozen foods were invented by an Arctic adventurer; Kool-Aid got its start from an 11-year-old entrepreneuer; and Twinkies were once used to capture a gang of escaped baboons. Perfect for fans of the Food Network’s Unwrapped, this guide is the ultimate paean to processed pleasures!

Carolyn Wyman is the author of Jell-O: A Biography, Spam: A Biography, I’m a Spam Fan, and The Kitchen Sink Cookbook. Her food column for Universal Press Syndicate runs in more than 100 papers nationwide. She has written for the Boston Globe, the Christian Science Monitor, and the New Haven Register. She lives in Philadelphia.

Quirk Books, 2004