This work offers a smorgasbord of topics on cuisine in modern France, from the invention of French cuisine in the early 1800s to the McDonaldization of that national emblem, the French fry. The editors uses discrete moments in French history to illuminate the intersection of food and nationality.

More than a book about food alone, French Food uses diet as a window into issues of nationality, literature, and culture in France and abroad. Outstanding contributors from cultural studies, literary criticism, performance studies, and the emerging field of food studies explore a wide range of food matters.

"Serious scholars of French cooking will enjoy digging through Schehr and Weiss' anthology...not for recipes but for its many revelations." -- Mark Knoblauch, Booklist"Cooking, eating--the whole dining experience--has momentous implications that influence our ability to understand a people, a way of life, a civilization. French Food is required reading for anyone who, like me, views cuisine as a significant and integral part of culture." -- Jacques Pépin"This collection offers detailed accounts of gastro-culinary themes across an unexpected range of texts." -- Rebecca L. Spang, author of The Invention of the Restaurant"French Food, a collection of essays entirely harvested in America, is neither scholarly junk food nor a quick fix for the mind, but a Barthesian feast of historical, literary and semiological insights--a nourishing reconciliation of savoir and saveur." -- Philippe Roger, author of Roland Barthes, roman and editor of Critique"Over the years, many have come to recognize the importance and influence of French cooking. Now Schehr and Weiss offer us delightful essays as sophisticated and subtle as the food, cooking, eating and culture they analyze. Whether you are a casual diner interested in exploring the complexities of French cuisine or an expert seeking scholarly discussion about French culinary conventions and practices, French Food is a pleasure that should not be denied." -- Eating Culture