Explaining the rise of Barcelona as a naval power to rival Italian city-states like Pisa and Genoa, he notes the balanced diet of Catalan sailors: more biscuit and cheese than the Venetians, less wine than the Neapolitans, but plenty of garlic, onions and spices to make hard biscuits more palatable.

ECONOMIST: History��s most important sea

The cooler weather seems like a good time to make a sourdough starter, flip pancakes, bake bread or roll out biscuits.

NPR: Sourdough: More than a Bread