Valerie J. Frey – författare

Oysters are humble animals yet very important. Vital to the health of our coast, this keystone species helps filter coastal waters and protects shorelines from undue erosion. In addition, oysters are a source for both food and physical shelter for a wide array of other animals as well as some plants.This book began with a federal grant to create a living shoreline, a manmade slope carefully engineered to provide optimal living conditions for oysters and that will function as a seamless part of the natural environment. Such living shorelines allow oysters to thrive while they also help protect the land from some of the problems that are increasing because of climate change. Why add a children’s book to an ecological building project? Learning about oysters and their role in the environment will help our young people grow into adults who are good stewards of our planet. Understanding life cycles and the interconnections between species, no matter how small, are crucial to that outcome, and oysters are a fascinating and compelling way to explore those concepts.INCLUDES:Full-page color illustrations throughoutInset illustrations highlighting associated species, life-cycle stages, ecological insights, and human uses of oystersAmazing oyster factsWays to help support oystersFurther reading

Georgia’s Historical Recipes is an exploration of our state’s oldest recipes from the antebellum period through World War II, as painstakingly researched by Georgia archivist Valerie J. Frey. This volume begins with a discussion of old recipes as primary sources and what they can tell us about the history and culture of their era and how to bring them to life in modern kitchens. Frey then moves into fifty sections that can be read alone yet allow readers to build an understanding of how foodways evolved over time. Some sections highlight a single recipe, illustrating how changes in technology, agriculture, transportation, communication, and social patterns led to changes in Georgia kitchens. Most of the recipes are previously unpublished, waiting in archives to be rediscovered. Other sections explore our oldest cookbooks, offering biographical and cultural background information that makes them more meaningful. For the first time, Georgians have a list of the state’s early cookbooks and its cooking experts. Readers will learn where to find Georgia’s oldest recipes and discover many examples to whet their appetites literally and figuratively for a taste of Georgia’s past.

Georgia’s Historical Recipes is an exploration of our state’s oldest recipes from the antebellum period through World War II, as painstakingly researched by Georgia archivist Valerie J. Frey. This volume begins with a discussion of old recipes as primary sources and what they can tell us about the history and culture of their era and how to bring them to life in modern kitchens. Frey then moves into fifty sections that can be read alone yet allow readers to build an understanding of how foodways evolved over time. Some sections highlight a single recipe, illustrating how changes in technology, agriculture, transportation, communication, and social patterns led to changes in Georgia kitchens. Most of the recipes are previously unpublished, waiting in archives to be rediscovered. Other sections explore our oldest cookbooks, offering biographical and cultural background information that makes them more meaningful. For the first time, Georgians have a list of the state’s early cookbooks and its cooking experts. Readers will learn where to find Georgia’s oldest recipes and discover many examples to whet their appetites literally and figuratively for a taste of Georgia’s past.