Food: A Culinary History (European Perspectives)

by Massimo Montanari (Editor), John-LouisFlandrin (Editor)

• Used

  Paperback
  2000

  $3.42

  Excels in its thoroughness, its epic sweep, and its rootedness in culinary tradition...it's also a pleasure. Salon.com. Now that gastronomy and the culinary arts in general are finally being accepted as legitimate academic subjects, it is time we had available to us a copious and worthy sourcebook...This is exactly what we have needed. Julia Child.

• New

  Hardcover
  1999

  $87.52

  When did we first serve meals at regular hours? Why did we begin using individual plates and utensils to eat? When did cuisine become a concept and how did we come to judge food by its method of preparation, manner of consumption, and gastronomic merit? Food: A Culinary History explores culinary evolution and eating habits from prehistoric times to the present, offering surprising insights into our social and agricultural practices, religious beliefs, and most unreflected habits. The volume dispels myths such as the tale that Marco Polo brought pasta to Europe from China, that the original recipe for chocolate contained chili instead of sugar, and more. As it builds its history, the text also reveals the dietary rules of the ancient Hebrews, the contributions of Arabic cookery to European cuisine, the table etiquette of the Middle Ages, and the evolution of beverage styles in early America. It concludes with a discussion on the McDonaldization of food and growing popularity of foreign foods today.