“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
--James Beard

Food writing as we now think of it can be traced back to Brillat-Savarin’s Physiologie du Goût, which was published in 1825, two months before his death. Brillat-Savarin’s work consisted of a long series of meditations on gastronomy in the spirit of Epicurus. The influence of Brillat-Savarin’s meditations has rippled through the years to today.

Beginning with Brillat-Savarin’s near contemporaries Escoffier and Prosper Montagné, writers have attempted to capture the near-religious rapture of a truly excellent meal. The mission of these three gastronomic giants was taken up en force in the Twentieth Century by culinary pioneers James Beard, M F. K. Fisher, A. J. Liebling, Elizabeth David, Julia Child and Craig Claiborne. All of whom wrote basic ‘how-to’ instructional pieces as well as transcendent prose that attempted to capture the spirit of good food appreciation.

The fervour of the pioneers endures today in the writings of critics, chefs and even novelists; as demonstrated by the works of Jeffrey Steingarten, Thomas Keller, Anthony Bourdain and David Foster Wallace.

The last name listed above is telling for the future of food writing. We live in a postmodern age where everyone writes rapturously about their latest meal. Brillat-Savarin would have gloried in our current cultural climate of chef and critic superstars. No one scoffs anymore at the idea of food as art.

The Food collections at Cornellbooksellers.com will reflect the varied approaches to culinary books including cookbooks (professional, amateur and celebrity), chef profiles, culinary industry biographies, and food travel books.

We hope you enjoy browsing the Food catalogue at Cornellbooksellers.com. If you have any questions related to the collection, or are looking for a particular volume, please don’t hesitate to contact us.