Description
Book SynopsisTravelling from Paris to Tokyo, from Seville, Oaxaca and Naples to Istanbul, she investigates the rapid decline of France's pot-au-feu, the misconstrued beginnings of pizza, the meeting of indigenous and European lineages in mole, and the complex legacy of multi-culturalism in a meze potluck.
"Never have we been more cosmopolitan about what we eat - and yet more essentialist, locavore, and particularist." With a witty mix of anecdote and research, Anya von Bremzen reassess the fascinating role that food can play in our cultural heritage, and uncovers how as a nation's political and social identity are called into question, so too is its palate.
'A fast-paced, entertaining travelogue, peppered with compact history lessons that reveal the surprising ways dishes become iconic' -
New York Times'This dazzlingly intelligent examination of how foods become national symbols . . . so enlightening - as well as so much fun to read . . . Von Bremzen is a superb describer of flavours and textures - but she also understands that food is never just about food' -Bee Wilson in
Financial Times Trade Review'*** - Praise for Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking' - ***
'Heartbreakingly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. This is an important book, a must read!' - Heston Blumenthal
'Moving and darkly comic' -
Sunday Times'This poignant memoir is an education in the richness of eastern European cuisine, and the story of Soviet communism, through the lens of family experience' -
Observer'A breathtaking balancing act...Von Bremzen is as much a virtuoso in her writing as her mother is in her cooking' - Masha Gessen
