Icons of American Cooking

(Hardback)

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Description

Discover how these contemporary food icons changed the way Americans eat through the fascinating biographical profiles in this book. Before 1946 and the advent of the first television cooking show, James Beard's I Love to Eat, not many Americans were familiar with the finer aspects of French cuisine. Today, food in the United States has experienced multiple revolutions, having receivedand embracedinfluences from not only Europe, but cultures ranging from the Far East to Latin America. This expansion of America's appreciation for food is largely the result of a number of well-known food enthusiasts who forever changed how we eat. Icons of American Cooking examines the giants of American food, cooking, and cuisine through 24 biographical profiles of contemporary figures, covering all regions, cooking styles, and ethnic origins. This book fills a gap by providing behind-the-scenes insights into the biggest names in American food, past and present.

Reviews

This basic volume on some of the more influential entities in the food business today is accessible for high school students and undergraduates; a good option for large public libraries. The clear strength of the work is in the additional readings and the coverage of lesser-known topics such as Crocker, the CIA, and Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma. * Library Journal *
Icons of American Cooking is a nice introduction to the culinary scene in the U.S. today. It is a good resource for student reports and for those interested in cooking, and could be added to circulating collections as well as reference collections in public and undergraduate libraries. * Booklist *
Editors Geraci and Demers feature 23 truly iconic individuals of American cooking in this volume, along with an entry on the Culinary Institute of America. Well-known figures such as Julia Child, Betty Crocker, and Tim and Nina Zagat are included. . . . Interesting stories and quotations are interspersed throughout. Summing Up: Recommended. * Choice *

Author Bio

Victor W. Geraci, PhD, is the food and wine historian and associate director of the University of California Berkeley's Regional Oral History Office (ROHO). Elizabeth S. Demers, PhD, is senior editor at Potomac Books, Dulles, VA.