American foodie: taste, art, and the cultural revolution

189 Pages·2016·1.343 MB·English

by  Furrow, Dwight

AMERICAN FOODIE

AMERICAN FOODIE
Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution
Dwight Furrow
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
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Furrow,Dwight,author.
Americanfoodie:taste,art,andtheculturalrevolution/DwightFurrow.
pagescm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-4422-4929-5(cloth:alk.paper)—ISBN978-1-4422-4930-1(electronic)
1.Food—UnitedStates—Philosophy.2.Dinnersanddining—UnitedStates.3.Foodpreferences—
UnitedStates.I.Title.
TX360.U6F872016
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2015027903
TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsof
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CONTENTS
Preface vii
Introduction:AmericaDiscoversItsPalate 1
1 WeLivefromGoodSoup 11
2 WhyFood?WhyNow? 27
3 GatheringtheTribes:RevolutionaryFoodandthePeople
WhoCreateIt 49
4 FromPleasuretoBeauty:IfKantWasatMyhrvold’sTable 69
5 HowtoReadaMeal:TheFlavorofSymbols 95
6 CanTunaCasseroleBeaWorkofArt? 117
7 HabitsandHeresies:Authenticity,FoodRules,andTradition 133
8 TheFutureofTaste 149
Notes 161
Index 169
AbouttheAuthor 179
v

PREFACE
M
y love affair with food began when, as a nineteen-year-old, I was
invitedtoafamilymealatthehomeofanItalianfriend.Astheconversa-
tion,inallitstwistsandturns,alwaysreturnedtothefoodanditsquality,
it was apparent that, for them, food was more than fuel or a pleasant
diversion—it took on aspects of the sacred, something to be cherished in
itself as a potent symbol of the good life. Since that memorable meal I
have gradually become convinced that nothing else in life gives us so
muchongoingpleasureasthefoodwelove,soIwasstruck,whendrink-
ingdeeplyfromthehistoryofphilosophyandteachingitformanyyears,
bythefactthatgreatthinkerslargelyignorefoodassomethingworthyof
thoughtful attention. Perhaps it is a sign of my distinct lack of greatness
that I decided to devote considerable attention to thinking about the cul-
ture of the table and its importance to a life well lived. The result is this
book, which attempts to understand why this fascination with food has
become so prominent in our culture. I am afraid, however, that a book
about food written only for philosophers might prove to be unsavory or
goto waste,andso Iseekreadersamongthegeneral public whosefasci-
nationwithflavortakesathoughtfulturn.
Evenprominentwriterswhotakesimplepleasureastheirthemeseem
toforgettheirvictuals.GeorgeOrwellwrites:
I think that by retaining one’s childhood love of such things as trees,
fishes, butterflies and—to return to my first instance—toads, one
makesapeacefulanddecentfuturealittlemoreprobable,andthatby
preaching the doctrine that nothing is to be admired except steel and
vii
viii PREFACE
concrete,onemerelymakesitalittlesurerthathumanbeingswillhave
nooutletfortheirsurplusenergyexceptinhatredandleaderworship.
What? No shepherd’s pie or bangers and mash among his fond memo-
ries? I would suggest that the pleasures of life are experienced most
directly when seated at a table laden with the bounty of harvest and
surroundedbyfriends.AndsoIwritewithgratitudetowardallthosewith
whomI’vesharedatableandespeciallythosewhocookwithpanache.
Join me for more on the philosophy of food and wine at Edible Arts
(http://foodandwineaesthetics.com/).