The following is an excerpt from Barry Foy’s book The Devil’s Food Dictionary that we would like to share with you:

Chi·nese-Amer·i·can cui·sine A well-intentioned but peculiar style of cooking that dates to an era when Chinese Men were prohibited by law from bringing their wives to America. The resulting shortage of women, who were more likely than men to be skilled in the culinary arts, led to the opening of many restaurants whose cooks’ real talents probably tended more toward laying railroad ties. By the time women were finally admitted, this hybridized cuisine had already sunk its sweet-and-sour fangs into the mainstream American palate, where it would persist like a coffee stain for decades to come. On a more positive note, Chinese-American food has kept innumberable American Jews from starving on Christmas Day.”

Click the image below to be whisked toward the front of the line where you can grab a copy of this epic cookbook that has brought much joy to us here at The History Bluff.  It’s well-worth the modest price and will look wonderful sitting atop your kitchen counter, where you will undoubtedly place it for quick reference purposes.