A History of Cooks and Cooking (The Food Series)

Rating:
Summary: A Classic in the Making
Review: Michael Symons has written a book that is both fascinating and seminal. Serious amateur cooks, professional cooks and cooking educators will find plenty of reinforcement for their roles in the craft that "distinguishes man from other animals." Symons addresses a wide variety of issues--the place of food in society and culture, the practical functions of cooking ("predigestion, detoxification; preservation), the thread through history of anti-consumption/anti-gastronomy philosphies; a conceptual framework for cooking technologies...if you have an interest, Symons probably addresses it). Carefully chosen excerpts from major food historians, chefs and writers add to the fascination of this very accessible work. At the end, I had a better understanding of why the "hearth" has been considered to be the "center" of the home and a more structured sense of why I love to cook for my family.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic in the Making
Review: Michael Symons has written a book that is both fascinating and seminal. Serious amateur cooks, professional cooks and cooking educators will find plenty of reinforcement for their roles in the craft that "distinguishes man from other animals." Symons addresses a wide variety of issues--the place of food in society and culture, the practical functions of cooking ("predigestion, detoxification; preservation), the thread through history of anti-consumption/anti-gastronomy philosphies; a conceptual framework for cooking technologies...if you have an interest, Symons probably addresses it). Carefully chosen excerpts from major food historians, chefs and writers add to the fascination of this very accessible work. At the end, I had a better understanding of why the "hearth" has been considered to be the "center" of the home and a more structured sense of why I love to cook for my family.