false 306244 1 <P>Elegantly written by a distinguished culinary historian, <I>Food Is Culture</I> explores the innovative premise that everything having to do with food& mdash;its capture, cultivation, preparation, and consumption& mdash;represents a cultural act. Even the "choices" made by primitive hunters and gatherers were determined by a culture of economics (availability) and medicine (digestibility and nutrition) that led to the development of specific social structures and traditions.</P><P>Massimo Montanari begins with the "invention" of cooking which allowed humans to transform natural, edible objects into cuisine. Cooking led to the creation of the kitchen, the adaptation of raw materials into utensils, and the birth of written and oral guidelines to formalize cooking techniques like roasting, broiling, and frying. </P><P>The transmission of recipes allowed food to acquire its own language and grow into a complex cultural product shaped by climate, geography, the pursuit of pleasure, and later, the desire for health. In his history, Montanari touches on the spice trade, the first agrarian societies, Renaissance dishes that synthesized different tastes, and the analytical attitude of the Enlightenment, which insisted on the separation of flavors. Brilliantly researched and analyzed, he shows how food, once a practical necessity, evolved into an indicator of social standing and religious and political identity. </P><P>Whether he is musing on the origins of the fork, the symbolic power of meat, cultural attitudes toward hot and cold foods, the connection between cuisine and class, the symbolic significance of certain foods, or the economical consequences of religious holidays, Montanari's concise yet intellectually rich reflections add another dimension to the history of human civilization. Entertaining and surprising, <I>Food Is Culture</I> is a fascinating look at how food is the ultimate embodiment of our continuing attempts to tame, transform, and reinterpret nature.</P> 297228 20 10 2006 Food Is Culture (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary H) total:6|4:2|3:3|1:1| 6 18 20 4 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 13 11:05:14 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 13 11:05:14 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Aug 23 19:43:22 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 19:44:18 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 12:44:29 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 12:46:25 -0800 2008 1 0 false false Sun Aug 19 06:26:35 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 19 06:27:24 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Wed Aug 19 20:02:10 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 20:02:10 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Aug 18 13:12:28 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 13:12:28 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Aug 03 13:19:21 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 13:19:29 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 17 01:33:36 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 01:33:36 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jun 22 10:46:05 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 10:46:05 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon May 25 17:30:04 -0700 2009 Mon May 25 17:30:04 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun May 10 19:48:45 -0700 2009 Sun May 10 19:48:45 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Apr 07 21:45:22 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 21:45:22 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jan 29 09:32:42 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 09:58:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 29 09:32:42 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jan 01 13:29:48 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 01 13:29:48 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Dec 08 17:48:24 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 08 17:48:24 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Tue Nov 11 06:56:29 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 11 06:56:31 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Mon Oct 27 08:47:44 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 27 08:47:57 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Tue Sep 23 19:30:22 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 14 13:20:55 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 23 19:30:22 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sat Jun 07 18:23:47 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 07 18:23:47 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Wed Jan 09 07:24:49 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 09 07:24:53 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=306244