The Secret History of French Cooking

Luke Barr

$32.00

Adding to cart… The item has been added
Author
Luke Barr
Publish Date
2026-03-17
Book Type
Hardcover
Publisher Name
Penguin Group
Subtitle
The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern
Number of Pages
352
ISBN-10
1524744735
ISBN-13
9781524744731
SKU
9781524744731

Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of Provence, 1970, a lively, dramatic account of the spectacular rise of French “nouvelle cuisine,” and the renegade chefs of the 1960s and 1970s who revolutionized modern cooking.

In The Secret History of French Cooking, Luke Barr takes readers inside the culinary rebellion that upended the staid French food world and reinvented the role and cultural importance of chefs and restaurants. The very idea of the chef as creator—as innovator, artist, auteur—can be traced back to the legendary Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers, among other colorful characters. The book also tells the largely unknown story of a group of women chefs who fought for recognition in the all-male culinary establishment of the 1970s, and the villainous, powerful food critic who cast a shadow over the era.

This is a tale of rivalries, global success, and a ferocious backlash; of celebrity, money, politics, and incredibly delicious food. The Secret History of French Cooking reveals the origins of modern food and restaurant culture—the forces that shaped the way we eat today.