The Secret History of French Cooking - by Luke Barr (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This deeply researched cultural and culinary history tells the story of a group of French chefs who, in the late 1960s and 70s revolutionized food culture, first at home and then, quickly, abroad, especially in the United States. The very idea of chef as creator can be traced back to these legends of la nouvelle cuisine: Paul Bocuse, Michel Guerard, and the Troisgros brothers"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Provence, 1970, a lively, dramatic account of the spectacular rise of French "nouvelle cuisine," and the renegade chefs of the 1960s and 1970s who revolutionized modern cooking.

In The Secret History of French Cooking, Luke Barr takes readers inside the culinary rebellion that upended the staid French food world and reinvented the role and cultural importance of chefs and restaurants. The very idea of the chef as creator--as innovator, artist, auteur--can be traced back to the legendary Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers, among other colorful characters. The book also tells the largely unknown story of a group of women chefs who fought for recognition in the all-male culinary establishment of the 1970s, and the villainous, powerful food critic who cast a shadow over the era.

This is a tale of rivalries, global success, and a ferocious backlash; of celebrity, money, politics, and incredibly delicious food. The Secret History of French Cooking reveals the origins of modern food and restaurant culture--the forces that shaped the way we eat today.

Review Quotes

"Until the seventies everyone knew what a French restaurant was supposed to be. Then nouvelle cuisine came along and changed everything. Luke Barr takes us behind the scenes to meet the bad boys of the kitchen, the forgotten women - and the people who propelled them to fame. These chefs were creating the playbook for the future, and it's all here - the good, the bad and the extremely ugly. I couldn't put the book down. " --Ruth Reichl, New York Times bestselling author and former New York Times restaurant critic

"Luke Barr writes the jaw-dropping tale of the moment food became pop culture. He turns the rise of nouvelle cuisine into a richly woven story about art, ego, critics, and power, moving from smoky Paris kitchens to the grand stage at Disney World. I devoured it. The Secret History of French Cooking is a rich, absorbing, and deeply revealing account of how French cuisine remade itself, and what that reinvention cost." --Daniel Stone, former National Geographic Senior Editor and national bestselling author of The Food Explorer

"Luke Barr brings to life a pivotal moment in gastronomy with precision, curiosity, and deep respect. In this book, we see the icons of French cuisine--brilliant, imperfect, and revolutionary--reshape how the world cooks and eats. A compelling and essential story for anyone who cares about food." --Eric Ripert, Chef & Co-Owner of Le Bernardin

About the Author

LUKE BARR is the author of Provence, 1970 (about his great-aunt M. F. K. Fisher) and Ritz & Escoffier. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, architect Yumi Moriwaki, and their two daughters.