Acquired Taste: The French Origins of Modern Cooking (Hardcover)

by T. Sarah Peterson (Author) "We catch the last good view of the food of Roman antiquity in a fourth-century cookery work familiarly known as Apicius, after its presumed author..." (more)
Key Phrases: Baghdad Cookery Book, Jacques Dalechamps, Cornell University (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A more accurate subtitle for Peterson's book might be The Origins of Modern Cooking with Some Digressions into Matters Alchemical and Neoplatonic. The bulk of the book is given over to rehearsing Medieval Europe's culinary appropriations from the Middle East (saffron, rose water) and Renaissance Europe's rediscovery of classical foodstuffs (fungi, oysters, artichokes). If not terribly new, this is perfectly enjoyable reading. The bigger problem comes in what is new. Peterson believes that a taste for highly spiced, golden food flavored with sugar and colored with saffron was undone by the fall from favor of mystical neoplatonism in France. While this may have been a factor, she fails to address other, simpler explanations. When discussing the decline of saffron in 17th-century French cookery, she does not address the simple social explanation that a recent glut of domestic saffron had made the spice too common for high tables. She notes, "A number of 17th-century still lifes show small white bumpy objects in a variety of shapes. These are seeds or sticks coated with minerals from a hot spring. The metamorphosis of these objects into 'stones'... fascinated the alchemical adept." But she never explains why she dismisses the more common identification of these "white bumpy objects" as sugared almonds and candied fruit. Peterson unfortunately replaces Ockham's razor with a butter knife.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This is, first and foremost, a scholarly historical work. Beginning with an overview of the Middle East's culinary influence on Western Europe, scholar Peterson traces eating trends (essentially from sweet to salty) through the alchemical and sensual Middle Ages and the scientific Renaissance. She fixes France as Europe's gastronomical mentor by 1651 and from then on describes in depth the evolution of French cuisine and its influence on modern cooking. Ancient recipes and illustrations of paintings and manuscripts decorate the text. The book is loaded with footnotes from primary sources such as Pliny, Avicenna, and Robert Burton, author of The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) and perhaps the first modern proponent of the Twinkie defense. Although the topic is rather academic, this book is not intimidating. By choosing to delve deeply into this esoteric subject, we can savor tidbits of information about astrology, the Reformation, and today's good life. Highly recommended.
Wendy Miller, Lexington, Ky.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press; First edition (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801430534
• ISBN-13: 978-0801430534
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,520,572 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview, April 5, 2009

By	esther reese - See all my reviews

I've had this book for years, and have purchased it for several friends interested in historical cookery. The first two chapters are especially useful in understanding the differences in the underpinnings of Medieval Cuisine, and the differences between it, and the cuisine that replaced it, leading into the 'modern' palate.

If you're interested in Medieval cookery, these two chapters make this book a worthwhile investment.

If you are interested in the history of French cuisine in particular, and European cuisine in general, this books is useful and interesting. It's bibliography is also very useful. It's writing style is good, and it presents interesting material well. Excellent reference.