© Columbia University Press
Food: A Culinary History
September, 1999
Cloth, 624 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-11154-6
$50.50
/ £29.50
"From the Bible and ancient Egypt to the 'banquets'of the Middle Ages and the 'McDonaldization'of Europe, Food: A Culinary History covers the immense history of the table throughout the world. Well researched and scholarly, it is essential reading for the historian and the lover of social studies as well as the modern cook and gourmet." — Jacques Pépin
"Vastly informative. . . . Jean-Louis Flandrin and Massimo Montanari have done a marvelous job of making all these aspects of food history make sense from prehistory to the present." — Eugen Weber, Times Literary Supplement
"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. The Flandrin and Montanari Food: A Culinary History is exactly what we have needed. Literally overflowing with facts, anecdotes, and histories, it is a major compendium for those in the profession as well as a delightful store of knowledge for anyone who loves to read." — Julia Child
"A massive but tasty compendium called Food: A Culinary History demonstrates that the art of dining has gone through some astonishing changes through the centuries." — Herbert Kupferberg, Parade Magazine
"The dense, illuminating, sometimes delightful, occasionally maddening collection of essays and papers introduced and edited by Flandrin and Montanari. . . aspires to be nothing short of a complete history of man's experience and conduct at the table. . . A cornucopia of captivating, subtle, myth de-bunking information, research and insight." — Michael Frank, LA Times Book Review
"Although written in a sophisticated manner, this is a thorough, up-to-date overview of a universally appealing topic." — School Library Journal
"Food: A Culinary History is essential reading for students of the rich and influential culinary tradition rooted in the Mediterranean. It is provocative in providing a framework for a more general history of European foodways." — Journal of Social History
"Food: A Culinary History stands as a remarkable achievement." — Priscilla Ferguson, Journal of Modern History
"When two of Europe’s great food historians collaborate to edit a major collection on food and culture, past and present, there is much to celebrate. From the cuisine of 'les temps prehistoriques'to the food of today ('le hamburger et la pizza’), more than forty scholars explore a huge range of fascinating topics. . . . A fine book that will bring enlightenment and pleasure to all those who can eat and think at the same time." — Nach Waxman, Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore, New York City