Rewriting the History of American Food
Our national cuisine has roots much deeper than the contributions of any individual icon: Your weekly guide to the best in books
When considering the history of American food, a few notable figures, such as James Beard and Julia Child, invariably come to mind. But our nation’s culinary roots are so much broader and more diverse than what can be captured by considering the work of such a small number of individuals.
For one, even the famous names didn’t work on their own. The author John Birdsall may have written in his biography , but Birdsall also had to acknowledge that Beard relied on a network of uncredited ghostwriters and editors. Similarly, although Julia Child is often thought of as , she actually co-wrote alongside two French women.
