Principles of Gastronomy
On Sunday evening, I clicked send on an e-mail that included a 3,000 word attachment - my final essay for the first course in my gastronomy program. Our assignment was to discuss the evolution of a foodway through the lens of a quote by Flandrin and Montanari - that every tradition is a child of history and history is never static. I wrote about the role of historically undesirable cuts of meat, more specifically, how oxtails, the most humble cut of meat from the hindquarters of a beast of burden, have evolved from slave fare to haute cuisine. Over these past three months, I've read a stack of culinary history that stands about two feet tall. I've written about the emergence of gastronomic discourse in 19th century France, the role and symbolism of confectionary in England, the history of moonshine, the difference between service a la russe and service a la francaise, the impact of social and cultural influences on contemporary gastronomic discourse in the United States, and the globalization, hybridization, and creolization of food and foodways. Of the 33 students who started the program in March, 24 remain. Some will take the professional certificate and call it a night. Others - me among them - will continue down the path to the Master of Arts in Gastronomy. My next course - Food and Drink in Contemporary Western Society - begins at the end of July. Look for some lighter reading in the "On My Nightstand" section of this website between now and then.
deb
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