It could be said that Grimod’s funeral supper which contravened the dining norm and “insulted his family and questioned social hierarchies” was much like the Futuristic work of Marinetti. Be it in art, literature, architecture or food Marinetti’s Futurist movement sought to break all canons, customs and tradition. 

The Futurist concept of dining as a whole sensory experience involving not just taste but visual, auditory and  olfactory stimuli can be seen in the way in which the funeral supper was presented; “held in a hall draped with black bunting”, youth perfuming the air with censers, complete with a catafalque centre-stage. Much like Marinetti’s “Polyrhythimic salad” served with a music box and a side of waiters dancing to the musical rhythms. 

Also found in Grimod’s second supper where he experimented with colour with the succession of black foods: “caviar, olives.., truffles, chocolate, plums….”. 

A stark contrast to Marinetti’s Futurist “dinner of white desire” where guests feast on white foods; “a soup of cold milk with chunks of mozzarella and white grapes, a tray laden with pieces of coconut studded with nougat ..” 

The reading tells the life and achievements of Grimod, a bastard who's deformed hands created distance and a hatred for his family. Through this distance however, he discovered a love of French cuisine, ultimately leading to a successful career as one of the first reviewers of upmarket French food. His aristocratic family began his appreciation and understanding of fine-dining; his books then shared his knowledge with a greater population which helped to create a better understanding for the French of their own divine cuisine ensuring an 'aristocratic' standard was kept. 

 

Grimod is one of the first to make conversation about food a significant importance in the realm of fine-dining, a trend that continues today. Further to this, it is interesting that he appears to be one of the first to introduce the concept of 'courses' to the dining experience. 

 

The end of Grimod's Almanac is a mystery, as it may be due to the stress of his 'voice for fine-food' or because he thought he had taught as much as he could and reached his limit; the answer is unknown. 

What was his purpose? Was it to entertain or was it to educate or both? What were his motives?
Why did Grimod experiment with colours rather than taste?

 

Grimod's significance is still evident now, with 'full appreciation of the table' a relevant area of gastronomy today. 

 

Grimod's impact makes you wonder what current French cuisine and knowledge of French cuisine would be like today if not for his writings.

 

Grimod de La Reynière was born into the aristocracy as the son of a member of the noblesse dʼepée and of the noblesse de la robe. He would become a charismatic performer, though not in the conventional sense, opting to introduce unknowing participants to his brand of shocking humour through unconventional gastronomic exploits, causing a stir as he did so. This would continue until 1786, where he would dress a live pig as his father - with whom he had a complicated relationship - and be arrested via a lettres de cachet. 

His arrest eventually led to him beginning an appreciation for food as an art form rather than a means through which he could shock others. During the time of the Revolution, he would continue his informal education by amassing experiential knowledge in places such as Switzerland, Provence and Lorraine before eventually returning to Paris in 1794. Because the Revolution had changed the political and cultural Parisian landscape, he sought to change the method of his theatrics to more traditional alternatives, performing in theatres and dining clubs throughout the city. 

In response to the rise of the nouveaux riches bourgeois and proletarians, who he saw as having little knowledge of food as an artform, he, along with his publisher Maradan, decided to publish the ‘Almanach des Gourmands’, its first volume selling 20,000 copies. It acted as a basic introduction into the fine dining that had been enjoyed by the aristocrats of the ancien régime, not limiting itself to only recipes, but etiquette surrounding the table as well. Later editions would feature suggestions from local Parisians whose recipes had been accepted by his Jury Dégustateur, a group of diners that Grimod saw as having a worthwhile opinion. 

I thought it was interesting that dropping the ‘de’ saved Grimod’s life during the French Revolution, specifically during the Reign of Terror, as this was most likely a mentally damaging experience that ended up saving his life. I also wish I was at his final dinner, where he pretended to be dead and then jumped out of his coffin during the meal. It’s also really interesting to consider the importance of democratising food in a country, as this was also an important theme in yesterday’s reading.

Carême is justifiably the ‘king of modern french cuisine’, many of his methods and ideologies are still used today and seen as modern (while others are seen as outdated such as his use of elaborate decoration), such as the use of seasonal produce. Carême codified and created a strict system of food preparation and techniques, he simplified and standardised many traditional recipes and techniques.

Likewise Grimod reformed they way the French talk about and enjoy food. He popularised a new system of serving food ‘a la russe’ which has each course served after the other in a strict order rather than all the food being served at one. This simplified and made the eating experience more enjoyable. Grimod also pioneered food writing, he influenced the idea of restaurant reviews, and well as inspired (or was copied by) Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarinʼs Physiologie du goût.

Carême and Girmod also straddled pre revolution extravagance and post revolution simplicity. Carême relied an a new class of rich elite to serve his food, and a new class of bourgeoise to enjoy his book, likewise Grimod started his food publication to keep the tradition and knowledge of fine dining alive, and to educate the new class of bourgeoise on fine dinning.

Carême and Grimod and pioneered and new language of techniques and to describe food. France as a catholic country did not have a vocabulary surrounding the enjoyment of food, it was not able to be seen to enjoy food, Grimod dispersed the concept of 'gourmand' which means to enjoy food (but not too excessively like the pre revolutionaries did), this new language of enjoyment of food changed the way people talked about and enjoyed food.

Both these figures in french cuisine culture in the early 19thC pioneered a new form of simplicity in cooked and service that has lasting impacts culturally for France as well as internationally 

 

 

 

- India hasn’t traditionally produced much food writing

- Despite the central nature of eating in Hindu scripture, cooking is peripheral

- There is a Hindu principle that local variants of custom should be respected, therefore making a “top-down” approach impractical

- The first broad, almost national cuisine emerged from the Mughal cuisine, and then that of the Raj

- Paradoxically, it can be inferred from the publication of specific regional cookbooks that a national cuisine is emerging - the need to differentiate shows this

- The emergence of national cuisine, together with the inter-regional popularisation of regional cuisines, produces more work for middle-class women - they are obliged to produce more variety and develop broader skill sets

- One thing that emerges from the cookbooks is a general set of assumptions about what kind of preparations comprise “Indian food"

Parkhust Ferguson then explores culinary nationalism in the 21stC, by applying Pampille’s logic, we might think that blurring of international boarders in the 20th-21stC boarders might seem to dissolve or dilute culinary nationalism, but actually it serves to strengthen it as food becomes even more linked to place, the international context defines the national identity.

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

I, like the majority of the western world, hold the belief that french cuisine is superior, the gold standard. I had never questioned this belief before and it is interesting to see where this belief came from. French cuisine is not intrinsically or naturally superior, it’s position was carefully constructed in the late 19th and early 20thC through the writings of Pampille, aka Marthe Allard Daude and Carême that diffused, simplified/unified and created a narrative based in history and tradition that truly cemented french cuisine as superior. 

Through printing recipes, she gave a voice to “familiar dishes made everyday in ordinary kitchens by ordinary cooks” and elevated dishes to national status that “cut across class as well as region” and were enjoyed by peasants and the bourgeois alike. 

In Pampille’s 1913, Les Bons Plats de France: cuisine régionale authenticity was the main virtue, going as far as declaring to truly appreciate a regional dish, it has to be consumed in the place of origin with the local ingredients otherwise “it’s not even worth tasting”. As the ingredients not only constitute the dish but they transmit the landscape.

This view is contested in subsequent pages on the basis of modernity, that rigid authenticity can be viewed to arrest change and inhibit innovation. 

Parkhurst Ferguson breaks down Pampilles in defining French cuisine as a system with basic rules and that once you learn the whole system, as it is a system and not tied to a place, you can start cookin wherever and with whatever. 

“Codes define French cuisine, not place”.

Ferguson illustrates this through Marthe Allard Daudet, or ‘Pampille’, her pen name, as she was a fundamentally important figure as a result of her contributions to developing a ‘culinary consciousness’ in France. Pampille identifies women as the ‘guardians’ of French culinary tradition, offering her own style of cooking that contrasted that of the male-dominated professional realm. To this end she focused on cooking within the home, collecting an amalgamation of regional and national dishes for her readers. 

This text, like those of Artusi and Carême, sought to democratise food on a national scale. It did not limit itself to the typical diet of the bourgeoisie or the proletariat, seeking rather to focus on the commonalities between the upper and lower classes. It also sought to unify France by acknowledging and celebrating its diversity, allowing the ‘local’ to ‘become the national’, thereby building a cohesive national identity. Interestingly, she includes recipes such as bouillebaisse despite stating that one can only truly appreciate it if they were not born in the area; the inference being that some recipes were included simply to be read and appreciated.

Ferguson then shifts focus to the role of French cuisine in a globalised world by analysing the Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon, suggesting that despite it being an increasingly international competition, French cuisine may receive preferential treatment. She ruminates on why this may be the case, noting that many chefs learn French culinary techniques as a part of their culinary education.

Following this, she discusses how national identity and national cuisine are intertwined by using the example of a film, Le Grand Chef. The film reinforces this notion by explaining how certain ingredients and dishes are connected to one’s nation, namely Korea in this instance. She ends by highlighting a notable conundrum on the topic of national identity in the era of globalisation: ‘The more a cuisine is defined by products and the more tied to place, the more limited its influence. Conversely, the more generalizable a culinary mode—take stir-frying—the greater both its utility and its prestige in our world of competing culinary countries.’

* the surest sign of the emergence of a national cuisine is cookbooks for special audiences or with special kinds of food

* emergence of middle class - authors and audience for the cookbooks are middle class urban women

* they’re often written by ex pats - use to refer to nostalgia through an often inauthentic lens

* while there are no rules for courses like France, there seems to be general agreement on types of preparations

* The story of chef Inaki Aizpitarte is an example of  assimilating immigrant cultures into French cuisine. (learned cooking in Israel)
* The chef of the French Bistro "Le Serven" innovated very glorious and refreshing cuisine and they tried to help Paris cuisine to get rid of its nostalgia. 
*France embraced its diversity through some incidents like the riots in 2005. 
 *Having an open attitude to the integration of native cuisine and foreign cultures helps to improve the innovation of French cuisine.

 

The once traditional French cuisine has indeed been fading away slowly due to globalisation and rising trends. However, it is evolving into something young and vibrant with foreign chefs taking the lead, it is about borrowing classic French culinary practices and invent cuisines which customers will yearn for it. As mentioned in previous readings, anyone can cook authentic and great French food as long as they practice French culinary. Their non-French origins has proved not as limitations in French food scene but however an adventurous point booster for the customers who are willing to give it a go. Decades ago, these ideas will sound absurd however cuisines will never stay put but will meet demands and trends. In order to prolong its place in the culinary scene, cuisines have to continuously adapt and evolve. 

Some may argue that French culinary excellence is fading due to foreign chefs taking over, changing the once immerse history of French food scene. However, I feel it is a great and bold move in order to keep things alive and exciting, capturing consumers' hearts. I believe foreign chefs with French culinary practice can still tell a great French story by putting great food on the plate.

However around the time this article was written in 2014 things started to change, a revolution by diners hungry for innovative and good food seen in food capitals such as New York, London or Copenhagen. Parallels can be drawn between the Nouvelle Cuisine movement of the 1960s which saw young french chefs revolt against the traditions and established french cuisine in favour of fresh, lighter and seasonal style of cooking.

This food revolution is also lead by a new generation of young foreign chefs cooking french food. These chefs are not necessarily bringing a new or foreign cuisine (although modern or new wave American food is a huge success in Paris)  but are reviving artisanal approach of traditional french cuisine, they are using local and regional french produce and tradition cooking techniques, but doing so in a way that is fun and engaging for diners. They are also mixing cultures and cooking techniques to create exciting results. At the end to the day they are preparing GOOD, simple and carefully executed food, which is what Carême and Auguste Escoffier advocated for when they revolutionised french cooking. Perhaps Paris, and France had just forgotten its strong culinary roots between the 1960s and now, perhaps it is not at all that innovative, just returning to the strong well executed french cuisine developed by Carême (although in a modern context).

It can also be seen that Parisian consumers are starting to embrace foreign wines and natural wines, while this may be hard to accept for more traditional consumers, this new wine movements is not in contraction of the huge culture of fine wines found in Paris as there is still and appreciation and respect for fine wines, just in a more modern way.

Perhaps this movement started with the bistronomie movement in 90s which saw innovative young chefs in Paris desire to create high end food at low prices by creating down to earth, homely restaurants. This brings in the question of the Michelin guide which is well know to favour a specific genre of high end restaurant with upscale service, but arguably boring food. 

This new food movement in Paris is diffused by online blogs and food review websites, perhaps these online publications with enormous readerships and followings now hold the same cultural capital as the Michelin guide once did.

 

It is in fact foreign chefs and the growing authority of diners that are reviving the Paris food scene and reinvigorating the autochthonous culinary tradition. Indeed, quite strange when one considers the patriotism associated with French cuisine, it's unwillingness to let outsiders in and the dominant influence of chefs themselves in any form of gastronomic revolution.  The article describes nine successful French restaurants all run by Foreign chefs and their acceptance by French consumers; from American expatriates, to a home-grown Australian chef and even to a COMPLETELY Japanese kitchen staff at Abri in Paris. Each restaurateur had a unique experience; with Australian chef James Henry of Bones reintroducing an artisanal approach to cooking (he even churns his own butter). Contrasted with Gregory Marchand a Frenchman trained in Brittany, worked in Scotland, New York and was Head chef of Jamie Oliver’s 15 felt liberated from French-based cooking & kitchen hierarchies in his overseas work but returned during this recent revolutionary period to open three successful establishments for enthused young Parisian diners. Although the nine foreign chefs differ in their experience, nationality and approach they all have in common the appreciation and passion for French culinary tradition and its revival. 

 

Since the 1990s, France has been described as a dull and predictable food city, however this has changed as of recently due to the rise of non-French chefs creating their own exciting and diverse French scene in France. 

 

Due to this, the France food world is no longer closed from the rest of the culinary world as the young chefs have come in and revolutionized French cuisine by incorporating techniques and dishes from other international cuisines.  

 

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

 

·      Kristin Frederick – opening up Chinese take out as this does not exist that much in France at the moment.

·      McDonalds is France’s second most profitable market

 

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

 

What is next for France given that the French food scene has been expanded and transformed, will it keep on expanding over time? Will this lead to a more Westernized French food culture in France?

 

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

 

This relates to our recent dining experience at ‘Bon Ap’ where Matt ordered the ‘Bon Ap cheese burger’ which was a cheese burger served in a croissant bun – representative of Westernised food influencing French food culture. 

 

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

 

Connection previous reading – these days the ease of transportation and globalization in general has lead to national cuisines being cooked and produced in different nations. 

France’s saving grace, he argues, is up and coming foreign chefs. He also briefly mentions the rise of the bistronomie movement, describing it as a no-frills alternative to the prevailing cooking practices in France at the moment. In doing so, he suggests that this may be the first major overhaul to French cuisine since the nouvelle cuisine movement stepped away from ‘Escoffier classicism’.

Finally, he ends the article by going into detail about examples of up and coming, foreign, young chefs from places such as Australia, America, Colombia, New Zealand and Japan.

The rest of the website includes Catalan places to discover, experiences to have, thematic routes to take on a journey and a how-to guide on Catalan travel.

Examples of the different associations, what they are trying to preserve and promote and how they are doing so:

The Barcelona gastronomic association’s goal is to preserve the seafood and fishing heritage of the seafaring district.

The Cubat association focuses on artichokes, blue foot chicken, cherries and asparagus which are regional produce important to their local towns which feature on the menus of all the restaurants linked to the association.

Cuina de l’Empordanet association promote and publicise the districts in El Empordà’s regional food and cuisine by publishing books, holding cooking competitions and cooking classes. This association has an international reach, districts in El Empordà are a big tourist destination.

It is interesting to see that within the region/nation of Catalonia there are diverse food regions and with different ingredients and cuisines, however they are all linked with a common thread relating to the national identity of Catalonia.

The website invites tourists to be involved of this conservation and maintenance of all things Catalan and in doing so it becomes clear that there is an inseparable connection between the region’s landscape, history and cuisine. 

For example there are links to explore Olive oil turism, Wine tourist destinations and even indulge in Catalan restaurants ‘a la carte’ where diners can try ‘the most avant-garde recipes or the most traditional Catalan dishes..’ with quality local products being the foundation & common element that draws them together. 

What I also found interesting was the way in which they described their unique wine culture , summing up their region as instantly recognisable wine country going as far to say that it's “ a place to be savoured sip by sip”. Also the fact that it was inextricably linked to their celebrated food legacy. 
“Every glass contains a tiny piece of our heritage”