Cooking: The Quintessential Art (California Studies in Food & Culture) (California Studies in Food and Culture): 23 - Softcover

This, Herve; Gagnaire, Pierre

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0520265947 ISBN 13: 9780520265943

Publisher: University of California Press, 2010

Synopsis

From its intriguing opening question - 'How can we reasonably judge a meal?' - to its rewarding conclusion, this beautiful book picks up where Brillat-Savarin left off almost two centuries ago. Herve This, a cofounder (with the late physicist Nicholas Kurti) of the new approach to studying the scientific basis of cooking known as molecular gastronomy, investigates the question of culinary beauty in a series of playful, lively, and erudite dialogues. Considering the place of cuisine in Western culture, This explores an astonishing variety of topics and elaborates a revolutionary method for judging the art of cooking. Many of the ideas he introduces in this culinary romance are illustrated by dishes created by Pierre Gagnaire, whose engaging commentaries provide rare insights into the creative inspiration of one of the world's foremost chefs. The result is an enthralling, sophisticated, freewheeling dinner party of a book that also makes a powerful case for openness and change in the way we think about food.

About this title

Review:

"An intellectual exercise wholly removed from food-entertainment television."--Booklist (08/01/2008)

"A quality addition to any bookshelf; it has much to contribute to the longstanding discussion of cooking as art, and of chefs as artists."--Gastronomica (03/01/2010)

Solid, intellectual and charming case for why food sits, and will remain, on the front lines of global artistic and cultural relevance.-- (12/03/2008)

"Composed with careful planning, unique ingredients and an element of novelty that will leave your taste buds in awe."--World Literature Today (01/15/2009)

"Art history linked with food and cooking philosophy, wrapped in a romance, wrapped in a mystery."--Ochef.com (02/20/2009)

"Food as intellectual proposition. . . Richly pertinent to the UCP series California Studies in Food and Culture.-- (03/01/2009)

About the Author:

Herve This is Research Chemist at Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique and the author of Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking, among other books. Pierre Gagnaire is chef and owner of many restaurants, including Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, Paris.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0520265947
• ISBN 13: 9780520265943
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 366