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Vive la cuisine!

Peter Peter

A Cultural History of French Food

Peter Peter, well-known for his masterful explorations of the art of food in the context of its cultural history, takes us on a historical treasure hunt, this time to the undisputed pinnacle of the art of cooking: French cuisine. His sumptuously illustrated book with thirty original recipes will whet appetites for an exploration of this culinary paradise in all its finesse and diversity.

Peter’s history of French cuisine follows a trajectory from Celtic beginnings and Greek colonisers to the invention of modern restaurants in the days of the Revolution all the way to today’s top restaurant culture. In 2010, the UNESCO acknowledged the special status of French cuisine as world heritage. The book explores the two historical pillars that continue to support the claim to this day: the Roman conquest of Gaul, which Romanised agriculture and cooking, and the culinary sophistication at the court of the sun king Louis XIV. Peter takes us to Paris, the pulsating centre of French food culture, to the diversity of regional traditions and the craftsmanship and art of wine and food that render this inheritance unparalleled.