Profiles from the Kitchen: What Great Cooks Have Taught Us about Ourselves and Our Food [Hardcover]

Charles A. Baker-Clark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

In an age where convenience often ranks above quality, many Americans have abandoned traditional recipes and methods of cooking for fast solutions to their hunger and nourishment needs. Modern families are busier than ever, juggling hectic schedules that send them to fast-food restaurant drive-through windows and to grocery stores crowded with pre-processed and ready-to-eat foods. With parents frequently working during the daytime, efficient food preparation in the evenings has become the number one priority in kitchens across the country. This trend began during the post--World War II years, which heralded the arrival of "fast foods" and innovative technological advancements that sought to simplify the cooking process. These products were marketed as quick and convenient alternatives that transformed the concept of cooking from a cultural activity and a means of bonding with one's family to a chore that should occupy as little time and energy as possible. Profiles from the Kitchen: What Great Cooks Have Taught Us about Ourselves and Our Food is Charles A. Baker-Clark's call to abandon the "homogenization of food and dining experiences" by encouraging us to reclaim knowledge of cooking and eating and reconnect with our ethnic, familial, and regional backgrounds. Baker-Clark profiles fifteen individuals who have shaped our experiences with food and who have gone beyond popular trends to promote cooking as a craft worth learning and sustaining. The cooks and food critics he writes about emphasize the appreciation of good cooking and the relationship of food to social justice, spirituality, and sustainability. Profiles from the Kitchen highlights prominent figures within the food industry, from nationally and internationally known individuals such as Paul and Julia Child, James Beard, and M.F.K. Fisher to regional food experts such as John T. Edge and Dennis Getto. The result is a collective portrait of foodlovers who celebrate the rich traditions and histories associated with food in our daily lives and who encourage us to reestablish our own connections in the kitchen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-researched collection of portraits of famous figures from the culinary world's past and present. Although scholarly in design, the book reveals a man with a mission" -- Library Journal

"Replete with stores of inspiring individuals who have devoted their lives to the craft, Profiles from the Kitchen urges us to dust off our aprons and reestablish our connection with food before there is no one left to pass down the art of cookingand nobody left to appreciate it." -- Manchester (KY) Enterprise

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813123984
• ISBN-13: 978-0813123981
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,021,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for any Culinary Student!, November 30, 2009

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Karli - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Profiles from the Kitchen: What Great Cooks Have Taught Us about Ourselves and Our Food (Hardcover)

This book was absolutely fantastic. I am a Culinary Student and purchased about 20 different culinary/chef/food related books and this one definitely a good one. It was a Critics Choice Award winner in 2006 and you can tell it was. The passion the Chef's in this book leaps of the pages and in the culinary world... It all comes down to passion for your craft and talents. The chapter about Paul and Julia Child was really good. My chef instructor and I share our food books and she also really enjoyed this book. After I finish my other 20 or more books, I'm definitely going to re-read this one. It's a good book!