A Brief History of the Food EstablishmentThe OG Foodies that Changed the World

What is an Epicurean?• Epicureanism is based on

the philosophy of Epicurus, in 307 B.C.

• Atomic materialist that attacked superstition and divine intervention

• Believed that pleasure is the greatest good (challenge to Platonism)

• Achieve as much pleasure as possible, but do it modestly

• Developing friendship as the basis of a satisfying life

Okay, so then what’s an Epicurean? Christians created a misunderstanding that

Epicureanism advocated hedonistic sensual pleasure like partying, sexual excess, and constant eating

But Epicure believed that tranquility and absence of pain = happiness

Modern usage of the term An epicure is a connoisseur of the arts of life and refinement of sensual pleasures

Epicureanism implies a “love or knowledgeable enjoyment” of food and drink

What’s a Gastronome? Sounds painful.

• Comes from ancient Greek word “gaster” (stomach) and “nomos” (laws that govern)—the art or law of regulating the stomach

• Gastronomy is the art of eating food, as well as the study of food and culture (particularly gourmet cuisine)

• Includes cooking technique, nutrition, food science, etc.

• Another word for a gourmet

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

• Famous for saying “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.”

• French Lawyer and politician who is became a famous epicure and gastronome

• Founded the genre of gastronomic essay

• Published The Physiology of Taste in 1825

• Promoter of protein rich diet (believed sugar and white flour to be causes of obesity)

Quotable Quotes: “A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful

woman with only one eye” “The discovery of a new dish confers more

happiness on humanity, than the discovery of a new star”

“Those persons who suffer from indigestion, or become drunk, are utterly ignorant of the true principles of eating and drinking.”

“Gastronomy is the knowledge and understanding of all that relates to man as he eats. Its purpose is to ensure the conservation of men, using the best foods possible.”

Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reyniere (1758-1837)

• Lived during the reign of Napoleon

• First public critic of cooking

• First reviewer of ambitious new restaurants

• Published eight volumes of L’Almanach des gourmands

• The word Gourmand was associated with gluttony as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but he transformed it into its use today.

The Proustian MomentOr, “The Episode of the Madeleine” “The Cookie”—

Excerpt from In Search of Lost Time (1913-1937)

Proustian Moment: When the narrator dips the madeleine into his tea

Involuntary memory vs. voluntary memory

M.F.K. Fisher (1908-1992)

• One of the most well-known and beloved American food writers

• Write 27 books, including Serve it Forth (1937) and Gastronomical Me (1943) and a translation of Brillat-Savarin’s Physiology

• Books are a combination of food literature, travel, memoir

• Really established a literary precedence for food writing

Quotable Quotes “Sharing food with another human is an

intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.”

“Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg before it is broken.”

“Like most humans, I am hungry…our three basic needs, for food, security, and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing of love and the hunger for it…”

James Beard (1903-1985)

• Considered the central figure in the establishment of gourmet American food

• Brought French cooking to America in the 1950’s

• Wrote 20 books• Felt that part of his mission

in life was to “defend the pleasure of real cooking and fresh ingredients against the assault of Jello-o molds and food scientists

Julia Child (1912-2004)

• Most famous for her debut cookbook: Mastering the art of French Cooking

• And her cooking show: The French Chef (1963)

• Excerpt from My Life in France—published in 2006 posthumously

• Introduced Americans—who were eating canned food—to French and gourmet cooking

Quotable Quotes “This is my invariable advice to people:

Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun!”

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

“I was 32 when I started cooking—up till then I just ate.”

Craig Claiborne(1920-2000)

• American restaurant critic• Food journalist and author

for NY Times• Author of numerous

cookbooks• Worked with Pierre Franey• Inspired by M.F.K Fisher

Read More!

United States of Arugula—

by David Kamp

The Three Giants…