Celebrating Culinary Culture

Essay from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Comparative Literature, grade: B, , language: English, abstract: The short stories in Brooklyn author Jhumpa Lahiri’s anthology Interpreter of Maladies all share a plotline revolving around immigration, conforming to a typical theme in the contemporary American short story. In this context, food is used as a means to express the crossing of boundaries, whether they are political, religious or psychological. Rituals, beliefs, customs and morals attached to the preparation, consumption and celebration of meals by characters in the stories depict the negotiation of a hyphenated identity as it pertains to gender, sexuality, family, friendship, war and love. Lahiri’s stories tell the reader about the Indian - American experience in particular, but her narratives transcend national concerns, because the food archetype is universal. In her fictional accounts, Lahiri works out her characters’ efforts to maintain their Indian tradition while struggling to assimilate to the United States and the ambivalence that is involved in the process. This is achieved by a literal feed into socio-cultural gaps creating a great deal of irony and humor. Lahiri appeals to the reader’s senses through the detailed description of taste, smell, visual or texture of food and the atmosphere surrounding it. A vivid idea of a component of the characters’ heritage is evoked as a result in the reader, so he / she develops a concrete awareness for certain culturally based idiosyncracies and differences likely to clash with American mores.

From breakfast to dinner and everything in between, this title will work up adventurous readers' appetites with a flavorful look at food culture. Bright, colorful photos will entice readers as they learn about the role food plays in daily life as well as various celebrations, festivals, feasts, and holidays. Readers will also gain an understanding of how folklore, available ingredients, and cooking styles have worked to influence regional specialties and food culture over time. Engaging chapters present tales, traditions, and tasty dishes from around the world and approach eating styles and religious practices, such as fasting, in a straightforward, positive light. Smart sidebars highlight additional opportunities for exploring food culture, while a full-page spread offers ideas from the Let's Move! campaign for healthier holiday foods. This title will leave readers feeling hungry for their next food celebration! Bolded glossary terms, phonetic spellings, and an index are included. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

Drawing on thousands of years of foodways, Tucson cuisine blends the influences of Indigenous, Mexican, mission-era Mediterranean, and ranch-style cowboy food traditions. This book offers a food pilgrimage, where stories and recipes demonstrate why the desert city of Tucson became American’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Both family supper tables and the city’s trendiest restaurants feature native desert plants and innovative dishes incorporating ancient agricultural staples. Award-winning writer Carolyn Niethammer deliciously shows how the Sonoran Desert’s first farmers grew tasty crops that continue to influence Tucson menus and how the arrival of Roman Catholic missionaries, Spanish soldiers, and Chinese farmers influenced what Tucsonans ate. White Sonora wheat, tepary beans, and criollo cattle steaks make Tucson’s cuisine unique. In A Desert Feast, you’ll see pictures of kids learning to grow food at school, and you’ll meet the farmers, small-scale food entrepreneurs, and chefs who are dedicated to growing and using heritage foods. It’s fair to say, “Tucson tastes like nowhere else.”

The study of culinary culture and its history provides an insight into broad social, political and economic changes in society. This collection of essays looks at the food culture of 40 European countries describing such things as traditions, customs, festivals, and typical recipes. It illustrates the diversity of the European cultural heritage.

Many homes in Newfoundland still have well-stocked pantries of bottled moose or rabbit, freezers of corned capelin, and eider ducks at the ready, waiting for a special meal. Food, Culture, Place celebrates the land these foods come from and encourages everyone to put more traditional foods back on their plates. Lori McCarthy and Marsha Tulk have been collecting and cooking their way through the wild foods of Newfoundland for decades. This book showcases their experiences and shares the stories they have captured through their work and the people they have met. Through it all runs a deep love of everything that it takes to harvest, hunt, and prepare these foods to be enjoyed. Fish are caught, game hunted, berries and plants foraged. Food is prepared, preserved, and stored. Throughout are recipes for traditional dishes, regional delicacies, and modern preparations for today's home cook.

"Since the 1980s, China has developed a broader and deeper connection with the world. One of the most intriguing aspects of Chinese culture is its rich cuisine and fascinating cooking. China is a nation with a long history of food culture, and food has become an essential part of Chinese culture. This book tells in sprightly and straightforward language about the structure of traditional Chinese food, food customs for festivals and celebrations in China, Chinese dining etiquette, traditional food and cooking methods, healthy and medicinal diets, as well as historical exchanges of foods between China and other nations. It can present to the readers a complete and truthful picture of the summarized history and culture of Chinese food."--

Clerkenwell Boy and Serena Guen originally came up with the idea to curate one charity dinner, with one chef, in aid of UNICEF UK's humanitarian work helping children and refugees affected by the crisis in Syria. This quickly became a large-scale banquet with six headline chefs which sold out within in days. Leveraging the power of social media, top chefs, cookbook authors and families with links to Syria were encouraged to share their favorite recipes online with a #CookForSyria inspired twist--so that anyone could host their own charity supper club or bake sale, or just learn about the amazing cuisine and culture of Syria. As recipes flooded in, it made sense to share these beyond social media and in the form of a beautiful not-for-profit recipe book. All profits from the sale of the book will be donated in aid of UNICEF's Children of Syria Fund. Contributors include Amelia Freer, Angela Hartnett, Anna Jones, Chetna Makan, Ed Smith, Ella Woodward, Elly Curshen, Fergus Henderson, Hemsley+Hemsley, Henrietta Inman, Izy Hossack, Jamie Oliver, John Gregory-Smith, Jos Pizarro, Kylee Newton, Lily Vanilli, Martin Morales, Nuno Mendes, Olia Hercules, Selin Kiazim, Skye Gyngell, Symmetry Breakfast, Yotam Ottolenghi, and more. Includes metric measures.