- Ruth Reichl, New York Times bestselling author and former New York Times restaurant criticUntil 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.
The Secret History of French Cooking
The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern
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.
Praise for The Secret History of French Cooking
- Eric Ripert, Chef & Co-Owner of Le BernardinLuke 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.