The Oldways Table: Essays and Recipes from the Culinary Think Tank (Hardcover)

by K. Dun Gifford (Author), Sara Baer-Sinnot (Author) "Grains are bound so tightly to us-and we to them-that we characterize entire cultures by the major grains the people eat..." (more)
Key Phrases: techno foods, sustainable cuisine, diet pyramid, United States, New York, Cabernet Sauvignon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A thought-provoking gem. For those who believe we can and should eat, drink, and cook better, Oldways will read like a bible."-Kansas City Star"If I were asked to name the one group that has most influenced the way we eat today, my answer would be Oldways. It would certainly not be the nutrition establishment, which in 1988, the year Dun Gifford thought up Oldways, was still promoting the politically inspired USDA food groups, condemning every type of fat, and prescribing diets that nobody on the face of the earth ever ate. With the nutrition department at Harvard, Oldways and Gifford discovered the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil and rich wine, and promoted its life-giving properties in the most innovative ways. Here we have recipes from some of the prophets who understood this all along-Paula Wolfert, Carol Field, Nancy Jenkins, many others. Their subsidiary discoveries are just as important-do you realize that eating chocolate does not raise your cholesterol?"-Jeffrey Steingarten, author of The Man Who Ate Everything"THE OLDWAYS TABLE is one of the most impressive, exciting, comprehensive, and important books on the subject of food and agriculture ever published. There are dozens of wonderful, thought-provoking essays and beautiful, simple recipes from some of the greatest minds in the food world today-all woven together by the Oldways philosophy and vision, which is rooted in common sense and a passion for all things edible. Thank you, Dun and Sara, for your devotion to making the table (and therefore the world) a better place for all of us."-Jasper White, chef and author of 50 Chowders"Oldways pioneered the brilliant concept of joining high-level nutrition science evidence with chef-quality recipes and meals, and THE OLDWAYS TABLE invites everyone to sit down and enjoy its joyous approach to eating well for lifelong good health."-Frank Sacks, MD, Professor of Nutrition and Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School"It would be hard to imagine a more valuable compendium covering the history and application of the highly praised Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and the trends toward healthful, sustainable, and traditional eating emanating from it. With its accessible explanations of the science behind the movement, practical information on all food categories, and varied enticing recipes, this book will surely become a much-used classic in any serious kitchen library."-Mimi Sheraton, author of Eating My Words

Product Description
THE OLDWAYS TABLE compiles more than 15 years of groundbreaking work into an accessible food reference, filled with the flavors, preparations, and lessons of the world's great cuisines and cooks. An eclectic resource to be sampled or savored, THE OLDWAYS TABLE is a treasury of great recipes, a dietary guide, and an informed tribute to the world's most influential food traditions.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580084907
• ISBN-13: 978-1580084901
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,653 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful essays and good recipes, April 10, 2007

By	H. Grove "owling6683" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"The Oldways Table" is less of a cookbook and more of a guide to finding and enjoying the most healthy, delicious, and fine foods the world has to offer. The mission of Oldways is "to help consumers make wise choices about eating, drinking, and lifestyle," and to emphasize "the traditional pleasures of the table." In some ways this makes it a rather gourmet book with sections on imported cheeses, wines, olive oils, and more, which might make it seem inaccessible to poorer sections of the populace. However, there's also a great deal of information of use to anyone, discussing various aspects of sustainable food production (ensuring we make food choices that contribute to the availability of food in generations to come), healthy diet and more, all couched in terms of delicious food rather than dense scientific terms.

"The Oldways Table" includes many memoir-like interludes filled with enjoyable tales of rustic clambakes or authentic meals in historic cities, and it certainly makes a leisurely and fascinating read. I know far more than I did before about the production of cheese, the difference between processed cheese, unprocessed cheese, and unpasteurized cheese, and so on. It's interesting to know exactly what goes into making the best of the cured meats of Italy, and what makes them different from region to region.

The recipes themselves are largely simple and quite delicious. There's a dish of edamame beans, olive oil and sea salt that is positively alchemical in its simple and luscious taste. An eggplant-based soup made us sigh with delight. Unfortunately, while the tastes were delicious, it definitely helps to have plenty of kitchen experience when you make these recipes, as some of them don't appear to have had much kitchen-testing. For example, the "creamy vanilla bread pudding with cherry compote" is absolutely divine, but the instructions have a few... issues. For starters, the first direction is to preheat the oven, but then before using it you complete another several steps that take about an hour and a half. The recipe calls for "4 to 5 cups cubed white bread (enough to fill a 9 by 13-inch pan)", yet 4-5 cups of bread wasn't even close enough to "fill" a 9 x 13 pan, so I had to guess whether the amount was the important part or the filling the pan was the important part (I decided to almost-fill the pan, and it worked out well).

Since the recipes are the lesser part of the book by volume and quality-control, I'd primarily recommend this book to those interested in reading and learning about healthy, sustainable food choices and practices. If you have the experience in the kitchen to trouble-shoot any mistakes you find, then certainly do make the recipes--they're quite delicious and enjoyable!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Oldways Table, January 27, 2009

By	Cynthia Gay (Morgantown WV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Oldways Council and the Whole Grains Council represent international experts in the field of nutrition. This is a beautifully written and designed book with lots of history.