FREN 194: Food in French and Francophone Cultures: the Local and the Global

Culture of the Fork: a brief history of food in Europe by Giovanni Rebora; Albert Sonnenfeld (Translator) "Discoveries, travels, conquests, and expansions during the Renaissance introduced Europeans to exotic cultures, mores, manners, and ideas. The cross-fertilization between the Old and the New Worlds, the East and the West brought new foods, preparations, and flavors. That culinary revolution led to the development of new utensils and table manners, initiating a way of eating that differed radically from medieval traditions. Some of the impact is still felt -- and tasted -- today."--Book jacket.

Stirring the Pot : a history of African cuisine by James C. McCann Stirring the Pot breaks new ground and makes clear the relationship between food and the culture, history, and national identity of Africans. --Catalog record

The Cambridge World History of Food by Kenneth F. Kiple (Editor); Kriemhild Conee Ornelas (Editor) "This outstanding work of scholarship explains what we eat and why we eat it. The multidisciplinary articles discuss both individual foods and topics such as food fads, famine, and eating disorders."--"Outstanding Reference Sources," American Libraries, May 2001.

Cooked : a natural history of transformation by Michael Pollan "Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. In the course of his journey, he discovers that the cook occupies a special place in the world, standing squarely between nature and culture. Both realms are transformed by cooking, and so, in the process, is the cook. Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan's effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements. A North Carolina barbecue pit master tutors him in the primal magic of fire; a Chez Panisse-trained cook schools him in the art of braising; a celebrated baker teaches him how air transforms grain and water into a fragrant loaf of bread; and finally, several mad-genius "fermentos" (a tribe that includes brewers, cheese makers, and all kinds of picklers) reveal how fungi and bacteria can perform the most amazing alchemies of all. "--Publisher

Food : a culinary history from Antiquity to the present by Jean-Louis Flandrin (Editor); Massimo Montanari (Editor); Albert Sonnenfeld (Translator) "When did the custom of meals served at regular hours begin? At what time did humankind rise to the table and commence eating with individual plates and utensils? Since when have we begun to speak of "cuisine" and to judge our foods, their methods of preparation and manner of consumption, on social criteria of gastronomic merit? In this rich, illuminating book an array of authorities explore the history of food from prehistoric times to the present day." From book jacket.

Food : the history of taste by Paul Freedman (Editor) This illustrated book applies the discoveries of the new generation of food historians to the pleasures of dining and the culinary accomplishments of diverse civilizations, past and present. Freedman gathers essays by French, German, Belgian, American, and British historians to present a comprehensive, chronological history of taste from prehistory to the present day. The authors explore such topics as the early repertoire of sweet tastes and the way people learned to discriminate between different fats; the distinctive culinary contributions made by classical antiquity and China; the varied food customs created by the Islamic civilizations of Iberia, the Arabian desert, Persia, and the culinary capital of medieval Islam, Baghdad; the cuisine of the Middle Ages, influenced by Rome and adapted from Islamic Spain, Africa, and the Middle East; the decisive break with highly spiced food traditions after the Renaissance and the subsequent focus on primary ingredients and products from the New World; French cuisine's rise to dominance in Europe and America; the evolution of modern restaurant dining, modern agriculture, and modern kitchen technology; and today's tastes, which employ few rules and exhibit a glorious eclecticism. -- Catalog record

Food in History by Reay Tannahill Surveys the evolution of man's diverse gastronomic habits, customs, and traditions against their cultural and historical background.

Meals to Come : a history of the future of food by Warren Belasco In this provocative and lively addition to his acclaimed writings on food, Warren Belasco takes a sweeping look at a little-explored yet timely topic: humanity's deep-rooted anxiety about the future of food. People have expressed their worries about the future of the food supply in myriad ways, and here Belasco explores a fascinating array of material ranging over two hundred years--from futuristic novels and films to world's fairs, Disney amusement parks, supermarket and restaurant architecture, organic farmers' markets, debates over genetic engineering, and more. -- Catalog record

Near a Thousand Tables : a history of food by Felipe Fernández-Armesto Explores eight milestones in the cultural and culinary history of food, including the origins of cooking, the ritualization of eating, the inception of herding, the invention of agriculture, the rise of the class system, food trade, ecological exchanges, and the industrialization and globalization of food. - Catalog record

Genetically Modified Food: A Short Guide for the Confused by Andy Rees "The perfect guide for anyone who wants to know more about genetically modified crops -- what they are, how many countries already use them, and why they're a problem -- 'Rees unmasks the biotech industry's horrific tactics in their race to take over."--GoogleBooks.

Hunger : A Modern History by James Vernon At the beginning of the nineteenth century, hunger was viewed as an unavoidable natural phenomenon or as the fault of its lazy and morally flawed victims. By the middle of the twentieth century, a new understanding of hunger had taken root. Rigorously researched, Hunger: A Modern History draws together social, cultural, and political history in a novel way, to show us how we came to have a moral, political, and social responsibility toward the hungry. --Catalog record

Spice : the history of a temptation by Jack Turner "Spice: The History of a Temptation is a history of the spice trade told not in the conventional narrative of politics and economics, nor of conquest and colonization, but through the intimate human impulses that inspired and drove it. Here is an exploration of the centuries-old desire for spice in food, in medicine, in magic, in religion, and in sex - and of the allure of forbidden fruit lingering in the scents of cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, and clove." "We follow spices back through time, through history, myth, archaeology, and literature. We see spices in all their diversity, lauded as love potions and aphrodisiacs, as panaceas and defenses against the plague. We journey from religious rituals in which spices were employed to dispel demons and summon gods to prodigies of gluttony both fantastical and real. We see spices as a luxury for a medieval king's ostentation, as a mummy's deodorant, as the last word in haute cuisine." "Through examining the temptations of spice we follow in the trails of the spice seekers leading from the deserts of ancient Syria to thrill-seekers on the Internet. We discover how spice became one of the first and most enduring links between Asia and Europe. We see in the pepper we use so casually the relic of a tradition linking us to the appetites of Rome, Elizabethan England, and the pharaohs. And we capture the pleasure of spice not only at the table but in every part of life."--Jacket.