Word of mouth : what we talk about when we talk about food /

Despite the emphasis on talk stated in the title, in Word of Mouth, Ferguson (sociology, Columbia) considers a variety of cultural expressions that deal with food: talk, to be sure, but also the printed word (cookbooks, novels, menus), print images, film and television, as well as a range of practices and trends in both local and global arenas. Many themes emerge in terms of oppositions: cooking versus chefing, eating in versus eating out, culinary individualism versus communal consumption, food traditions versus creativity, haute cuisine versus haute food, and talk versus the actual dishes people consume. Although the majority of the book deals with the US, the deep history of food in France underpins many of the discussions. The culinary authority and demands of French kings of the past are seen to have shifted over the years to others: celebrity chefs, writers, restaurant patrons, and people with individual food needs and desires. Ferguson provides interesting insights on a range of people, topics, and social trends, though there are few focused analyses of food talk per se. Summing Up: Recommended. General collections, public libraries. --Carol Hendrickson, Marlboro College