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....overview continued

Abri

·       Opened by Katsuaki Okiyama (a Japanese chef)

·       Okiyama trained with renowned French chef Joel Robuchon

·       Deemed “the craziest French restaurant” due to being a small venue and having a long waiting list

·       All staff are Japanese and have limited understanding of the French or English language

·       Okiyama has no interest in opening a restaurant in Japan; he aims to “cook French for the French”

Frenchie

·       Opened by Gregory Marchand (an French-born American chef)

·       He was hired by Jamie Oliver in 2003 at 15 years of age

·       Claimed that working for Jamie Oliver “freed him from French-based cooking” and that he “appreciated the notion of team”.

·       However, he eventually returned to Paris, despite being offered a position at a French restaurant in New York: “what’s the point of going to New York to do French-style food?”

·       Marchand’s primary aim upon opening a restaurant in France was to “serve upscale fare at prices affordable to younger diners in a casual setting”

Verjus

·       Opened by expat couple Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian (two Americans)

·       Initially received bad, “blistering review,” with Perkins stating that “I thought we would win over the French immediately”

·       However, it was their “American-ness” that caused the French to resist their establishment

·       Eventually, the French gave Verjus a try and it became a popular, renowned restaurant

·       Despite their popularity, Verjus has very few French cooks, which Perkins attributes to “too much autonomy from day one”

Spring

·       Opened by Daniel Rose (an American historian-turned-chef)

·       Despite working in many French restaurants and possessing excellent credentials, Spring is yet to be awarded any Michelin stars.

·       However, renowned chef Gilles Chesneau (who possesses three Michelin stars) is a regular veteran of Spring.

·       “I spent about 5 minutes feeling flattered when Gilles agreed to come to Spring and 25 minutes feeling anxiety about whether I was up to the task.”

·       Sees the validity in many of Escoffier’s contributions: “I think Escoffier would understand what I’m doing. He may even like it.”

Le Camion Qui Fume (“The Smoking Truck”)

·       Opened by Kristin Frederick (an American)

·       A series of food trucks – took the French a while to warm to the idea.

·       “French (people) don’t like to eat in the street and don’t like to eat with their hands”

·       Started with burgers, due to observing a demand for a high quality burger.

·       Since then, Frederick has opened two more food trucks: a sandwich shop and a Chinese takeout (due to lack of Chinese takeaway in France)

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An Overview of the Nine Restaurants Discussed

Bones

·       Opened by James Henry (an Australian)

·       Menu changes daily and is based on seasonality of produce

·       Emphasis on relationships with individual purveyors

·       Churns his own butter

·       Artisanal approach – “it’s a way of touching a French person’s heart”

Roseval

·       Opened by Simone Tondo (a Sardinian cook) and Michael Greenwold (an Anglo-American cook)

·       The venue possesses an avant-garde wine list, created by Erika Biswell (a Colombian)

·       Biswell put Roseval at the forefront of the natural-wine craze.

·       Additionally, Biswell negotiates Frenchmen claiming to possess greater knowledge of wine.

·       “I have patience, but I am also Latin” à nursing two identities

Albion

·       Opened by Hayden Clout (a New Zealander) and Matt Ong (an Englishman)

·       Clout oversees the wine service, and Ong the kitchen

·       The fact that Ong is British does not phase the French (putting historic differences aside)

·       “Parisian food culture moves at a slower pace than other cities”

·       “It takes a long time to fail in Paris – you get more of a chance to get it right”

Les Enfants Rouges

·       Opened by Dai Shinozuka (a Japanese chef)

·       Approximately two dozen French restaurants have Japanese head chefs

·       Japanese and French cooking draw striking parallels; both have a focus on seasonality and terroir

·       Les Enfants Rouges offered “homely, satisfying French cooking”

·       The menu included roasted veal and vegetables and babe au rhum with whipped cream

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The New York Times article briefly describes France's decline in culinary tradition over the last few decades before explaining how young foreign chefs are rejuvenating French cuisine.

"French fare produced by non-French chefs"

It is amusing that foreigners are playing a huge role in the French culinary scene because 20 years ago the idea of an American or Australian "cooking French food for French people would have been laughable"

9 different restaurants are highlighted, each having foreign chefs/owners.

I enjoy the idea that French cuisine no longer belongs exclusively to the French.

As Parkhurst-Ferguson explained "codes define French cuisine, not place, not products, not people."

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Catalan cuisine represents a powerful political statement and a rich regional patriotism. Historically, both the regions of Catalonia and Basque country identified separately of the overall nation of Spain, as they represent a "nation within a nation." However, these nations were stripped of their identity through the Franco dictatorship. It has only been in the past forty years that these regions have reclaimed their identity and attempted to expand their culinary horizons by creating new tastes, resulting in some of the world's most renowned cuisine.

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Today's reading comes from the Catalonian or Cataluyna tourism website dedicated to informing the world about the many places, people, food and traditions the Catalonian culture and region has to offer.

The page we are directed to speaks predominantly on the cuisine of the Catalonia region. The website claims that the recipes and dishes are though of a long legacy left by the past to be practiced and enjoyed by the present. The climate, the local ingredients and the method of preparation are the main influences on the Catalonian cuisine.

Cuisine groups have been formed (20 in total) reaching across the entire country in order to conserve and protect this legacy.

These cuisine groups are passionate about their food and urge new comers to savour the pleasures of the traditional cooking.

By forming these cuisine groups and continuing the traditional way of preparing and enjoy the food, the Catalans are preserving their history and promoting a new awareness of a historical cuisine.

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Catalan Flag

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With more than 20 groups of chefs/restaurants/farmers, The Cuisine Associations focus their cooking on local and quality cuisine to highlight, recover and defend both the cuisine and produce of the different regions of Catalonia.

Catalan cuisine is rapidly changing with more modern, cutting-edge and sophisticated dishes being preferred to the home-style, traditional cuisine. For the Association, preserving the culture and roots of Catalonia by promoting the unique qualities of each region is imperative.

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WE ARE WHAT WE EAT
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2003/apr/16/features11.g21

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I like the way that the author address the importance of cook book/recipe in culinary nationalism. It is not just a sheet of paper as a guide of what ingredient and the amount of that ingredient you add into your dish, it is more like a symbol of the uniqueness of a national identity. Every country has a unique national cuisine, just like every chef has his/her own recipe/way of cooking a dish. In the film that we watched this morning, Sofia said to Frank "If you give my recipe to the cook I'll kill you". This is how important a recipe is to a cook. Recipe defines the cook and moreover.

Pampille also said in her cookbook that national dishes is accessible to everyone regardless of their class and the region they belong to. This reminds me of the national cuisine of Spain Olla Podrida and that it wasn't accepted by aristocracy as it lacked sophistication and culinary techniques. Later on the King was persuaded by his chef into believing that if olla podrida is good for people from lower classes / peasants, it must be good for aristocracy as well.

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Gastronomic Symphony - an ad for the final of Bocuse D'or

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I particularly enjoyed the use of the musical analogy about solfège - or the rules of harmony.

Like Julie Andrews says in the Sound of Music "when you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything."

The article explains it is the same with (French) cooking, once you learn the rules and have an understanding of the whole system you can cook wherever and with whatever because "Codes define (French) cuisine, not place, not products, not people."

And just like in music, Parkhurst Ferguson tells us that the rules of harmony in cuisine aren't universal and context plays an enormous role.

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"As individuals and communities move about the globe through travel and immigration, culinary habits move with them and change."

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The construct of culinary nationalism is one of great complexity and richness. Parkhurst Ferguson attempts to deconstruct and define national cuisine and national identity by eluding to historical and modern examples. The basis of these examples was the of the cookbook and how codifying different recipes enhances the universal understanding of the origin and belonging of different dishes in their respective nations.

Pankhurst Ferguson’s first example is that of the 1913 cookbook Bons Plats de France written by Marthe Allard Daudet (under the pseudonym “Pampille”). The recipes in Pampille’s cookbook were designed to present an array of French national dishes and display the best of French produce from around the country. Additionally, many of these were “traditional” dishes that had previously been used in the homes of the peasants and bourgeois alike, often “taking women as the guardians of the traditions.” Thus, Pampille argues that nostalgia is a fundamental aspect of the culinary experienceFurthermore, Pampille emphasises the importance of the quality of ingredients, using the example of France having the best game in the world due to the quality of the soil and nutrients found within it. She also draws parallels to the importance of landscape and that the environment in which one consumes a meal is just as important as the meal itself.

Pankhurst Ferguson goes on to examine modern constructs of national identity, citing the cause of expanding geographic and political boundaries to be that of increased transport and technology. However, it can be argued that it is these very factors that tie specific dishes to places. Using the example of the European cooking competition Bocuse d’Or, which has produced more French winners than any other nation, PF creates the argument that French cuisine can be attributed to a strict set of rules and structures. Additionally, PF uses the example of the film Le Grand Chef to convey how the construct of “otherness” can assist in national identity formation.

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Key Quotes:

“Codes define (French) cuisine, not place, not products, and not people.”

“Capacity to translate the exotic into familiar terms”

“The further we are from the origin of the product, the more likely we are to associate the place with the nation not the region”

"The international context defines the national identity."

"The nationalization of cuisine requires books not cooks" (from Anderson reading)

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Life is so brief that we should not glance either to far backwards or forwards ... therefore study how to fix our happiness in our glass and in our plate.

—  Grimod de la Reyniere

I found this interesting quote of Grimod on the website and realised if it wasn't because of his pursuit in doing what makes him happy, he couldn't have been so success in his career as a chef.

Born with a genetic mutation that results in deformity in fingers, he didn't give up the hope that he could still use his hands to cook.

"As a judge, I could find myself in the position of having to hang my father, while as an advocate, I would always be able to defend him". I really like this quote Kaufman used to depict Grimod. The fact that he refused to conform to social expectations inspired me and I think it's brave for him to do so at that time. His refusal to obey the mainstream and questioning social hierarchies led to a complicated relationship between him and the family and society.

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Grimond above all else seemed to be captivated by a sense of theatre and performance, that of which translated into all aspects of his life. Growing up in a wealthy and also dysfunctional household, Grimond was afforded the eccentricity that his status provided him.

Later in life he would become the first ever food critic. This position was developed long after he array of elaborate dining experiences, the funeral meal to be the most iconic.

Larger dissatisfied with the current state of the publics understanding of good French cuisine, Grimond published several cookbooks. These books appeals to the many, allowing the masses access to food they had never dreamed of creating.

Finally, with the emphasis on presentation, Grimond pioneered the idea of individual plating rather than a communal and collective eating of meals.

Personally I appreciated the eccentric side of Grimond. Although the majority of his 'stuns' drew attention for the wrong reasons (the funeral meals, the dress up in as a pig, his fake death and resurrection), he continued to push boundaries. Without this need for drama and theatrics, cuisine would not have developed at the same rate.

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It is interesting to note that had his father not left off the ennobling 'de' from his birth certificate, he might never have left such a legacy

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Grimod de la Reynière

Founder of French gastronomic writing

The world’s first restaurant critic

Summary
Grimod’s dysfunctional family would have influenced his rebellious behaviour - not conforming to the social expectations of the time.

His ‘funeral suppers’ gave him a platform to voice his opinions, questioning social hierarchies and insulting his family. The themed dinner, to remind everyone that death was “the great equalizer” was infamous.

His outlandish behaviour was almost his saviour when one evening he went too far and was arrested, confined to an Abbey with no audience for his pranks or games.

This forced him to appreciate and study the “arts of the table rather than the table as art.”

Post revolution saw these “nouveaux riches” (bourgeois and proletarians) attending theatres and dining houses who Grimod saw to understand little of literature or the art of fine dining as in the ancien régime.

* * *
Like with Carême, Grimod was looking to educate a wider audience on the culinary preparations of the famed ancien régime. Grimod helped ensure the survival of the elite dishes by introducing them to the greater public.

Much like Carême, Grimod was very innovative and modern.

Carême successfully combined old methods with new techniques while Grimod improved the lavish / luxurious style of the ancien régime in ways Zac & Miranda have noted.

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Almanach des Gourmands

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"Funeral Supper" Reprise - I can't believe he had his wife announce his death and then held another 'funeral supper' so he could rise from the dead during dinner...

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Grimod de La Reynière

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·       As stated in lecture one, food is far more than how it tastes; food is influenced by factors such as culture, economics and politics. In the instance of Grimod La Reyniere, food was used as the key weapon in making bold political statements against the class system in France pre-French revolution.

·       Grimod’s cynicism in response to the shame bestowed upon him by the aristocratic members of society (including his own family) could have resulted in a spectrum of consequences. Although the “funeral supper” in which Grimod mocked his family, antagonised the hierarchical Ancien society and made blatant references to death, can be argued as a negative consequence of the shame cast upon Grimod, ultimately it was this very burden that resulted in Grimod’s significant and powerful legacy.

·       As Kaufman stated, “Grimod began to study the arts of the table, rather than the table as art.” What began as using food to convey a political message and satisfy a personal vendetta became a lifelong passion to serve and enhance the culinary community in France. Grimod’s contributions to the field of food studies have revolutionised the discipline and his impacts are still observed today.

·       Additionally, as a linguistics major, being able to appreciate Grimod’s contributions to culinary discourse was significant to me. Having pioneered the term Gourmands in reference to those who appreciate food (and hence gourmet to refer to l
avish dishes), Grimod has created legacies not only in the field of culinary studies, but in linguistics also.

·       Although not synonymous with the term glutton (which refers to one who is over-indulgent in culinary pursuits), the two terms almost certainly have draw some parallels.

·       I believe that this can be linked back to the recurring symbolism of the aristocratic with a limited appreciation of fine dining being represented as the pig.

·       Grimod’s endeavours created a new era of culinary practices for people to enjoy and appreciate. After all, food is designed to be enjoyed and provide additional pleasure than nourishment.

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Kaufman depicts Grimond as a major influence on modern french cooking in a different aspect to which Ferguson depicts Careme. Careme is said to have lead the direction of how to prepare the food, covering all of the ingredients, while Grimond was more concerned with the presentation of the food. Grimond has influenced how modern restaurants serve their food, even down to where they plate it (eg. on the table in banquet form, or from the kitchen, one plate at a time).

At his 'feasts', he was concerned with a certain 'theme of the the night', whether it be the colour of the food or the source of some of the products. In contrast to Careme, who took the past cooking principles are adapted them in different ways (sometimes more efficient ways) .

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http://www.catalunya.com/what-to-do/savour/gastronomy-with-a-past-with-the-cuisine-associations

Add your own byte-sized musings until you have built up a collaborative picture of the reading ready to share with the class. Consider the following:

How would you summarise the reading's content or main points?

What strikes you as novel or interesting in this reading; what did you learn?

What questions remain for you; with which points do you disagree?

How does the content relate to your own knowledge and experience?

What thoughts, ideas, examples does the reading trigger for you?

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DAY 8: Steinberger, M. 'Can anyone save French food?' New York Times

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DAY 8: Steinberger, M. 'Can anyone save French food?' New York Times

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Add your own byte-sized musings until you have built up a collaborative picture of the reading ready to share with the class. Consider the following:

How would you summarise the reading's content or main points?

What strikes you as novel or interesting in this reading; what did you learn?

What questions remain for you; with which points do you disagree?

How does the content relate to your own knowledge and experience?

What thoughts, ideas, examples does the reading trigger for you?

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thoughts, responses, ideas, examples...

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DAY 2: Kaufman, C. 'The Claw at the table: The gastronomic criticism of Grimod de la Reynière'

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DAY 2: Kaufman, C. 'The Claw at the table: The gastronomic criticism of Grimod de la Reynière'

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Add your own byte-sized musings until you have built up a collaborative picture of the reading ready to share with the class. Consider the following:

How would you summarise the reading's content or main points?

What strikes you as novel or interesting in this reading; what did you learn?

What questions remain for you; with which points do you disagree?

How does the content relate to your own knowledge and experience?

What thoughts, ideas, examples does the reading trigger for you?

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No Readings Project work DAY 4, DAY 5 or DAY 6

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No Readings Project work DAY 4, DAY 5 or DAY 6

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DAY 3: Parkhurst Ferguson, P. 'Culinary nationalism' 

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DAY 3: Parkhurst Ferguson, P. 'Culinary nationalism' 

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Add your own byte-sized musings until you have built up a collaborative picture of the reading ready to share with the class. Consider the following:

How would you summarise the reading's content or main points?

What strikes you as novel or interesting in this reading; what did you learn?

What questions remain for you; with which points do you disagree?

How does the content relate to your own knowledge and experience?

What thoughts, ideas, examples does the reading trigger for you?