Laura Mason – författare

From cucumber sandwiches to jam and scones, this comprehensive cookery book from the National Trust is chock full of recipes that go perfectly with a nice cup of tea. From cucumber sandwiches to jam and scones, this comprehensive cookery book from the National Trust is chock full of recipes that go perfectly with a cup of tea. Afternoon tea is the quintessential British ritual. And with over 100 tearooms across the country, the National Trust knows a thing or two about it.This gift-sized guide has delicious recipes for savory and sweet treats, whether you’re looking for a lively party, the last word in elegance or a hearty winter tea by the fire.From sandwiches and tarts to cakes, scones, macaroons and preserves – some are classic, some have a twist, such as cucumber sandwiches with minted cream cheese, toasted farmhouse bread with anchovy butter, the classic Victoria sponge, brandysnaps or scones.Plus there’s everything you need to know to brew the perfect pot of tea (not to mention the odd cocktail and bowl of punch).Food historian Laura Mason also includes some fascinating and amusing historical recipes that reveal how afternoon tea was taken in times gone by and the origins of some of our beloved dishes.

Laura Mason brings you over 50 crumble recipes from the National Trust. Following on from the hugely successful 'National Trust Book of Scones', this is a salute to Britain's ultimate comfort food - crumbles. With over 50 crumble recipes – plus some cobblers too – you'll have the perfect recipe to cosy up with, every time.From classic recipes like apple and blackberry or rhubarb crumble to exciting new variations like crumble cheesecakes and microwavable mug crumbles for the time-challenged, this is everything you need. Plus there is a section on how to make classic accompaniments such as jam and custard, and interesting historical cooking trivia is sprinkled throughout to help you pass the time while your crumbles are in the oven.

A sweet tooth is a powerful thing. Babies everywhere seem to smile when tasting sweetness for the first time, a trait inherited, perhaps, from our ancestors who foraged for sweet foods that were generally safer to eat than their bitter counterparts. But the "science of sweet" is only the beginning of a fascinating story, because it is not basic human need or simple biological impulse that prompts us to decorate elaborate wedding cakes, scoop ice cream into a cone, or drop sugar cubes into coffee. These are matters of culture and aesthetics, of history and society, and we might ask many other questions. Why do sweets feature so prominently in children's literature? When was sugar called a spice? And how did chocolate evolve from an ancient drink to a modern candy bar? The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets explores these questions and more through the collective knowledge of 265 expert contributors, from food historians to chemists, restaurateurs to cookbook writers, neuroscientists to pastry chefs. The Companion takes readers around the globe and throughout time, affording glimpses deep into the brain as well as stratospheric flights into the world of sugar-crafted fantasies. More than just a compendium of pastries, candies, ices, preserves, and confections, this reference work reveals how the human proclivity for sweet has brought richness to our language, our art, and, of course, our gastronomy. In nearly 600 entries, beginning with "à la mode" and ending with the Italian trifle known as "zuppa inglese," the Companion traces sugar's journey from a rare luxury to a ubiquitous commodity. In between, readers will learn about numerous sweeteners (as well-known as agave nectar and as obscure as castoreum, or beaver extract), the evolution of the dessert course, the production of chocolate, and the neurological, psychological, and cultural responses to sweetness. The Companion also delves into the darker side of sugar, from its ties to colonialism and slavery to its addictive qualities. Celebrating sugar while acknowledging its complex history, The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets is the definitive guide to one of humankind's greatest sources of pleasure. Like kids in a candy shop, fans of sugar (and aren't we all?) will enjoy perusing the wondrous variety to be found in this volume.

The story of a poor man and radical activist who fought to revive the French Revolution, and whose failure heralded the republic’s defeat  “Very much a book for our times. Mason’s retelling of the trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the French Revolution shows how democracies end. Historians of revolutions and all those concerned with the arc of social justice movements have much to learn from this remarkable story.”—Sophia Rosenfeld, University of Pennsylvania  Laura Mason tells a new story about the French Revolution by exploring the trial of Gracchus Babeuf. Named by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as the “first modern communist,” Babeuf was a poor man, an autodidact, and an activist accused of conspiring to reignite the Revolution and renew political terror. In one of the lengthiest and most controversial trials of the revolutionary decade, Babeuf and his allies defended political liberty and social equality against a regime they accused of tyranny. Mason refracts national political life through Babeuf’s trial to reveal how this explosive event destabilized a fragile republic. Although the French Revolution is celebrated as a founding moment of modern representative government, this book reminds us that the experiment failed in just ten years. Mason explains how an elected government’s assault on popular democracy and social justice destroyed the republic, and why that matters now.

Students, Anglophiles, and literature hounds will want to delve into this delightful survey of foodways of a culture both ancient and cutting edge. Only in recent years have modern kitchen conveniences become taken for granted all over Britain. British cooking has also made tremendous strides lately, and the changes in shopping and food options, preparation, restaurant-going, and diet are detailed. The cooking traditions and classic dishes for which Britain is known are described as well, as they still help to define the people.Commercialization and globalization are shown to characterize British foodways today. For instance, Britain's regionalism is eroding. Health and environmental issues such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy have come to the fore. Television cook shows are all the rage. Women working outside the home and the increase in single-parent households fuel the demand for quick and pre-prepared meals. The trends are well supported by statistics. A timeline, glossary, and resource guide enhance the narrative.

Laura Mason examines the shifting fortunes of singing as a political gesture to highlight the importance of popular culture to revolutionary politics. Arguing that scholars have overstated the uniformity of revolutionary political culture, Mason uses songwriting and singing practices to reveal its diverse nature. Song performances in the streets, theaters, and clubs of Paris showed how popular culture was invested with new political meaning after 1789, becoming one of the most important means for engaging in revolutionary debate.Throughout the 1790s, French citizens came to recognize the importance of anthems for promoting their interpretations of revolutionary events, and for championing their aspirations for the Revolution. By opening new arenas of cultural activity and demolishing Old Regime aesthetic hierarchies, revolutionaries permitted a larger and infinitely more diverse population to participate in cultural production and exchange, Mason contends. The resulting activism helps explain the urgency with which successive governments sought to impose an official political culture on a heterogeneous and mobilized population. After 1793, song culture was gradually depoliticized as popular classes retreated from public arenas, middle brow culture turned to the strictly entertaining, and official culture became increasingly rigid. At the same time, however, singing practices were invented which formed the foundation for new, activist singing practices in the next century. The legacy of the Revolution, according to Mason, was to bestow new respectability on popular singing, reshaping it from an essentially conservative means of complaint to an instrument of social and political resistance.

"This new edition of Mason and Rizzo's anthology is a welcome addition to the study of the revolutionary and Napoleonic French Atlantic. It includes a wealth of documents related to life in metropolitan and colonial France from the middle of the eighteenth century through the Napoleonic Consulate as well as concise section overviews that detail experiences on the continent and in Saint-Domingue, France’s wealthiest Caribbean colony, during this tumultuous era. These features, along with images, maps, and a detailed timeline, provide an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike."—Rebecca Hartkopf Schloss, Texas A&M University

Pine trees, admired for their resilience, have been the subjects of artists for centuries, symbolizing wisdom and longevity in China and Japan. Their symbolic significance spans cultures and time, from classical worshippers of Bacchus to inspiring the establishment of national parks in North America. The natural history of pines showcases their ability to thrive in challenging environments, fascinating scientists. Their resin provides adhesives, waterproofing agents, and medicines, while their wood is ubiquitous in buildings, furniture, and paper pulp. Their cones fascinate with intricate shapes and offer pine nuts for both animals and humans. Throughout history, pines have inspired artists, writers, and photographers. Beautifully illustrated, Pine explores the rich inspiration and practical uses of these rugged, aromatic trees.