American Appetite: The Coming Of Age Of A Cuisine

The Story

Long characterized by European gourmands as a people obsessed with hamburgers and ketchup, Americans have come late to the table in discovering the joys in fine dining, and transforming the national palate has proven to be no easy task. An award-winning journalist who has authored three books on food and wine, Leslie Brenner expertly chronicles the evolution of American sustenance: from the Native American influence on the Puritan diet, to the titanic wilting of national taste buds via iceberg lettuce, to celebrity chefs and their signature dishes. American Appetite spans numerous culinary movements (from Domestic Science to Nouvelle Cuisine), records the births of revolutionary and renowned restaurants (such as The Four Seasons, and Chez Panisse), examines the impact of immigration on American food ways (from Italian to Japanese), maps out recherche regional ingredients (from Maine lobster to Olympia oysters), and taps into the trends (from the rise of California wines to the tsunami of Pacific Rim cooking). Highlighted by interviews with America's leading culinary innovators including Julia Child, Chuck Williams, Alice Waters, Larry Forgione, Michael McCatry, Roy Yamaguchi, Barbara Kafra, and Robert Mondavi, Brenner serves up a sweeping overview of regional kitchens and the international styles.