·      This reading is about Alexandre-Balthazar-Laurent Grimod de La Reyniere who was a lawyer and theatre critic.

·      Was known for hosting bizarre entertainment events, one of his most notorious was the “funeral supper”, which insulted his family. He had complications with his family relationships.

·      He dressed the room in all black, as well as providing black coloured foods including blackberries, truffles, raisins.

·      Dressed a pig as his father and placed it at the head of the table

·      He released a book series, that included 8 volumes between 1803 and 1812. Some were about Parisian gastronomy, others included political topics, recipes and other culinary topics such as table preparation and host duties. 

·      He was one that introduced elite dishes to a wider audience and thus they were able to survive and become well known

·      His books allowed his to “launch modern attitudes towards the pleasures of the table”

·      He reviewed dishes, cuisines

·      Eventually his work was no longer unique because other people were reviewing and it became a competitive field.

 

·      It’s interesting why he would dress a pig as his father, and how did he come about with that idea

·      Yes, he had complications with his family, but what would make someone want to insult their family by holding a supper indicating death

really

Interesting points:

Thoughts:

Thoughts

-       Grimod was born with a disability and shunned from his family however not submitting to such shame, he channeled his emotion into politics and food 

-       Grimod was arrested for the antics at one of his dinner parties and upon his release began travelling the world, refining his palette through several cultural cuisines and business ventures

-       He then returned to France where he became involved in the idea for the first food literature where restaurants would be reviewed, recipes made available to not only those able to afford to dine out and breakthrough ideas in culinary  

-       All eight volumes of his guide allowed the social barriers of haute cuisine to be broken and therefore offered such experiences of the lavish lifestyle to those with the lacking financial required for such cuisines 

-       Service à la russe: Grimod was the first person to suggest such a serving style for food where the guests would enjoy a single meal at a time. He began this in the hope that their attention would be able to focus solely on the meal which could be served at perfect temperature and timing 

Thoughts and Ideas: 

-      Grimod assisted in changing the stigma of the meaning of glutinous and instead encouraged the indulgence of food and large amounts of it 

-       The space in which you eat can also impact the way you see food and the way you either enjoy or find it not pleasurable 

-       Food is also about an attitude and a confidence  

-       Even though Grimod’s methods of sharing food with others were dramatic and eccentric his passion for the food really allowed a new perception of cuisine throughout France 

-  Sense of place is conveyed through recipes, not simply the preparation or ingredients of the dishes.

-  It is also important for nations to be recognised as they are everywhere they appear, for example, Japanese cuisine being known as Japanese cuisine

- This is achieved by codifying culinary preparations and recipes so that they are identical anywhere and recognised as one complete nation 
- 'Most countries propose culinary distinction as a marker of identity
- 'Landscapes transmitted through an exquisite dish

- The link between French history and cuisine is strong

-  Cuisine and food brings together regions and nations

-       Pampille emphasises the experience of the dinner not just what the consumer is eating but where and how they are consuming it

-        ‘Seek a sense of particular tastes and foods and places and how they fit together’

-       Food in France became French food, the expression forms part of an identity that has been culminated from a perception and exclusivity of French food

-       Despite Pampille’s rooted thoughts of culinary habits built from the products of the land and based on the notion that one must embrace the food of their homeland, modernized cuisine and travelling culinary experience have become prevalent in the gastronomic world of the 21st century 

-       Identity accommodating change 

-       Authenticity is not necessarily associated with physical food itself but more the idea and identity that is associated with a particular dish or cuisine 

-       The French made cooking into a competition 

-       Language of economics 

Through "Cuisine groups" Catalonia aims to preserve such rich traditions and methods of food preparation throughout their country.

The Cuina Volcànica

The Col·lectiu de Cuina la Ràpita - Delta de l'Ebre  

- Aim to continue and support the legacy of regional cuisine in Catalonia, through ancient recipes and cooking techniques

Barceloneta Cucina:
- Culinary association that consists of several different restaurants located in Barcelona
- 'Intention of this association is to highlight, defend, recover and promote the cuisine and produce of this seafaring district'

Tarragona Gastronomica:
- Knowledge of 17 of the best chefs in Tarragona, which have created the first association in this area of Catalonia
- Association has become a culinary reference point for the particular region, with a criteria system for restaurants and chefs in the area to become a part of their expert list
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