What are your food-related reads these days?

[Pontormo]

The literature produced by cultural historians, anthropologists, sociologists & writers or scholars hard to classify is overwhelming. There are academic presses with special series devoted to Food & Culture now that some recognition is given to the importance (as well as sexiness) of the intersection of these two categories.

Classics, Surveys or Worth Notice:

Claude Levi-Strauss, Totem and Taboo

Carole, Counihan, The Anthropology of Food and Body Gender, Meaning and Power

Ditto, Around the Tuscan Table. Food, Family & Gender in Twentieth-Century Florence, and as ed., Food and Culture: A Reader.

Bynum, Caroline Walker, Holy Feast and Holy Fast

Schlosser, Eric, Fast Food Nation (At least, I think this hasn't been mentioned.)

Spang, Rebecca L. The Invention of the Restaurant. Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture.

(Awarded numerous academic prizes from her peers.)

Two members have already mentioned Laura Shapiro who demonstrates how important cookbooks are as sources for researchers.

While I suppose James Peterson's Sauces might qualify if we're looking at the continuing influence of Haute Cuisine, or a certain type of reference book that is meant to expose home cooks to the lessons that professionals learn, I would say it's not as central to this thread as, for example, Mango Leaves & Curry, now under discussion here at eGullet or Paula Wolfert's revised publication on the cooking of South-west France.

In the regional forum on Italy, a number of members are cooking their way through specific areas of the country. One of the trends in cookbook publishing now is "micro" vs. "macro" cuisine. I.e., long after Artuso Pellegrino, Ada Boni, Marcella Hazan and others tried to define a national identity through recipes, cookbook authors are honing on the unique--or shared--dishes and habits of a single region.

A classic in that kind of approach is Richard Olney's Lulu's Provencal Table, long out of print, but reissued recently, probably because of the new publishing trend...as well as influence on Alice Waters, etc.

For Italy, there are many micro-books. Some of us are using Matt Kramer's A Passion for Piedmont now.

Another exploring a single city, but the living heart of a former empire, is David Downie's Cooking the Roman Way, a book whose lengthy bibliography attests to the fact that scholarship has always been a part of the cookbook writer's tasks. Research nonetheless informs illustrated "inserts", or pages of text that interrupt the flow of recipes by providing background on the "authentic" spaghetti--or penne--carbonara, etc. In fact, the subtitle of the book is Authentic Recipes from the Home Cooks and Trattorias of Rome, a title that tells you how much the author strives to understand the socio-cultural aspects of the dishes he presents.

There is too much more to mention. However, Deborah Madison's Local Flavors is not just a cookbook; it seeks to document the growing development of farmers markets...or what is sometimes called the "farmers market movement." I picked up something else recently that I think was called Fields of Green that is related, but written from a farmer's perspective with more essay-like text than recipe writing.

The name Deborah Madison also brings to mind vegetarian culture, so Anna Thomas and the two volumes of The Vegetarian Epicure deserve attention even though they're "just" cookbooks.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Josefinajoisey]

In addition to all of the wonderful selections I would add:

The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook by Tom Bernardin

Food...with all of its historical, emotional, cultural, and economical baggage. The 'recipes' are not to be taken literally, but enjoyed as memory.

[ronnie_suburban]

Lets not forget The Seasoning of a Chef by Douglas Psaltis as its the book that spurned the largest debate ever here on Egullet.

Great book about a chef working his tail off to get into some of the finest  kitchens in the country (and I might say not well kept freezers).

←

The book was hotly-debated primarily because of the author's (perceived) credibility issues. While it was an informative and mildly entertaining book, it was pretty poorly written. Required reading? Not even close in my personal opinion, though it does contain a few notable moments.

=R=

[thursdaynext]

This thread has certainly given me some new titles for my reading list!

Classics, Surveys or Worth Notice:

. . . Bynum, Caroline Walker, Holy Feast and Holy Fast

Pontormo,

Would be interested to know your opinion on Holy Feast and Holy Fast in particular, before I jump in and order- It was one of the titles I didn't recognize.

Thanks!

[mikeycook]

I would also suggest Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point. It is an excellent combination of stories about Point, discussions of his philosophy, and recipes.

Edited January 30, 2006 by mikeycook (log)

[inventolux]

My personal fav - curious george.

[moosnsqrl]

I just picked up my mail and found the latest . . .

There is a literary supplement featuring a variety of essays, many of which look promising. Two that caught my eye were from Calvin Trillin (a hometown KC guy and extremely witty, if you're not politically at the opposite pole) and David Rakoff (one of my favorite essayists and a frequent contributor to This American Life on NPR). I'm exercising uncharacteristic self-control and saving them for tomorrow's coffee.

On to my usual initial perusal of the regular magazine, discovered that our own charcuterie expert, M. Ruhlman, has a nice paean to the <haute> dog. Interesting "stuff" (pun intended).

My own personal favorite dogs come from a local (KS) business called Bossie's Best (they were featured in Gourmet or Bon Appetit a couple of years ago). They're skinless (Michael understandably ignores that end of the spectrum spectrum, since most of the lame dogs are) and uncured (again, making them something of an anomaly), but damn they're good.

I have to applaud his opening line, though:

Some people think of hot dogs as having more disgusting parts and unmentionable fillers than a Senate appropriations bill.

If only the non-food journalists were so hard-hitting and, um, (dare I say it?) frank.

[Kim Shook]

I got this, too and was really glad to see both things. I can't get enough of food writing and what I've read seems very good. I also love all things Stern and their essay was vintage!

[Jennifer Brizzi]

Often my many food mags stack up, but the newest Gourmet just came with a sweet little mini-mag full of real food writing by novelists like Jane Smiley and Monique Truong, stories that concern food but are really weightier essays rather than mere odes to various foods or entertainment themes. There is stuff from Jane and Michael Stern, Calvin Trillin and many more, that explores material beyond their usual themes (sorry I can't get at my copy right now to be more specific, because I'd love to tell you all what and who else is in it). I confess that so far I have only had the time to glimpse the table of contents and read the first two or three brief, pithy, delightful stories, but it looks maybe meatier than the usual Gourmet fare, more worldly and broad, and is a great read so far. I like I like.

Anyone else seen it yet?

[Gifted Gourmet]

My copy showed up in the mail just yesterday so all I have done is to give it a brief cursory look but, even at that, it seems weighty and engaging...

If you like the supplement, then do yourself a favor and look into getting a copy of Alimentum Journal ... mentioned at eGullet right here .

[jkonick]

I've really enjoyed the few pieces I've read so far. I got a subscription to Gourmet as a gift, and I wouldn't normally buy it (most of the stuff in there seems like fluff), but if perhaps the regular magazine was the supplement and the supplement became the main attraction I'd be more inclined to read it.

[kendrabail]

It's so great to see this type of food writing turn up in a mainstream publication. Some really strong writers and great essays in there. I have only read a few, but I am really looking forward to reading the rest of them.

[gus_tatory]

there is some seriously great prose as well as some quite beautiful illustrations in there as well. if any Gourmet staff are reading this: see above.

and then include a supplement like this four times a year...

[LindaK]

there is some seriously great prose as well as some quite beautiful illustrations in there as well. if any Gourmet staff are reading this: see above.

and then include a supplement like this four times a year... 

Thanks for pointing this out, I will pick up a copy, assuming the supplement is available in newsstand copies as well. If writing of this caliber became standard again in Gourmet, I'd consider renewing the subscription of 12 years I finally gave up a year ago. Haven't missed it even little bit.

[suzilightning]

i'm down to my last essay to read...and it is going into my bookshelf with the Oxford American Food Issue our own Racheld was kind enough to wrest from some slutty .... er, misguided teenage females.

do not miss the Trillin essay "With the Grain" that is wonderfully nostalgic and enticing at the same time; "Some Pig" by David Rafoff about the love affair between Jews and pork (who would have thought that pork was a protest meat?), "The Taste of Home" by Junot Diaz about his love as a Dominican for what his mom called "American food" - actually in his case Japanese; i ached for Moique Truong and more for her mother

in "American, Like Me" when the author only wanted to fit in and her mom did what she had been trained to do; Sietsema's essay on the Offal Eating Society made me laugh out loud - as I was ordering lunch and then have to explain to the barmaid why I was laughing about eating p#)&s ... now off to read "Fantasy Island" by Cynthia Zarin....

[kiliki]

I just finished mine and loved it. The Sterns' essay was hilarious. The illustrations/vignettes about breakfast by the childrens' book author (I forget her name) were beautiful and unexpectedly touching. I'd LOVE to see this become a regular publication-once or twice a year at least?? Please?

[barolo]

As sort of a "supplement to the supplement" there's podcast interviews with some of the authors and artists on the Epicurious website: here.

[Carrot Top]

Aliza Green's Starting with Ingredients. A tome. 1055 pages. A very good book for recipe-lovers, good recipes, good concepts, commonsensical and far from dull in terms of range of recipe types and specifics. All cultures invited, so to speak.

Aguecheek's Beef, Belch's Hiccup, and Other Gastronomic Interjections by Robert Applebaum. Looking at literary history through the eye of food. Or looking at food through the eye of literary history. Or something like that. Some fascinating stuff, but please make sure to play your "Learn to Speak Academese" tapes before you decide to approach. I, personally, ended up skimming the book.

Fierce Pajamas, An Anthology of Humor Writing from the New Yorker, edited by David Remick and Henry Finder. My favorite story in the collection so far is "Dusk in Fierce Pajamas" by E.B. White (from which the collection took its name, of course), a spoof where he becomes part of the pages of a glossy magazine he's looking at, with all the socialites and celebrities of the day lounging around him with their martinis and what-not's, all so very terribly elegant while at the same time seeming just a slightly bit off-balance and well . . .just wierd, because that's how he writes it without batting an eye to let you know he's doing so. I adore this book, so much that I only want to read it in small bits to savor each bite.

[suzilightning]

thank you for resurrecting this thread, Carrot Top!!

Food wise i TRIED to read Insatiable by Gael Greene but all the talk about who she was sleeping with got old after a while.

Through the ARC (advanced readers copy - uncorrected drafts) i have almost finished A Pig in Provence: Good food and simple pleasures in the South of France by Georgeanne Brennan. i love the flow of the story of adapting to the area - long before Peter Mayle. Another one from this program is Daniel Rogov's Rogues, Writers and Whores. since the chapters are so small it is in my workout bag for reading on the treadmill and bike.

rambling through Kemp's United States of Arugula. i say rambling since i really don't want it to end but am savoring the writing.

From Interlibrary Loan i just received Psyche A. Williams-Forsori's Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food and Power. i am looking forward to this book about the "gospel bird" and how it impacted slaves and black women.

other than that i am finishing up a biography of Edwina Mountbatten and have several light romances i am rereading.

[rooy1960]

i always have multiple books going at once (food related or otherwise). every room in my house is littered with books and magazines. food books currently being read:

les halles cookbook- anthony bourdain ( hilarious as all get out)

miriam's kitchen- elizabeth ehrlich ( lovely memoirs of jewish family traditons)

the fine art of cooking- philadelphia art museum (circa 1989)

as for my cookbook reading style, i skim first and then go back and read every word.

my two favorite things: cooking and reading....

[Toasted]

I just finished White House Chef by Walter Scheib and Andrew Friedman. Great book. Facinating to learn about how they do the big State dinners. Lot's of inside info about the running of the White House as well. Now I'm reading Sound Bites by Elex Kappanos. Kind of a quirky book about what Elex ate while touring the world with his band, Franz Ferdinad. This is a quick read. Short chapters, some interesting, some not. I very much recommend Climbing The Mango Trees by Madhur Jaffrey. Great recipes and stories.

[scottie]

The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook.

I like to jump around in it, reading a bit here on there while on the train. Always makes me smile.

Also, the latest issues of Gourmet and Food & Wine.

[phlawless]

What I'm reading now:

The Oldways Table--just got it in the mail yesterday

Fannie Farmer Baking Book--just discovered it really, love the pie section

The New Spanish Table--everything I've made out of it so far is fantastic

[TarteTatin]

Goose Fat & Garlic

Omnivore's Dilemma

Ruth Reichl's Paris

[enurmi]

Culinary Artistry by Dorenberg and Page, for the third time...

Gear for Your Kitchen by Brown, second time

and Working the Plate by Styler...

and those are just the food books.

Firstly, I hope I did the links right... took me long enough.

Secondly, is it a sign of addiction that I take CA and WtP with me every time I go on vacation? I NEED them, goshdarnit!