Accounting for Taste: The Triumph of French Cuisine

...especially as an ideal, as an art form, for others to emulate. Just what is it about France that turned cuisine into culture? Why is French cooking considered the basis for other cuisines? Why does Haute Cuisine mean French Cuisine? Ferguson looks to history, but doesn't neglect Iron Chef or modern molecular gastronomy either. The exacting epilogue on Babette's Feast was passionate and fascinating, and made me go find the book rather than rewatch the movie. I'd recommend pairing this excellent and optimistic book with the rather pessimistic Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France take on cuisine in France today. Good food reading!