Big ideas about food usually arrive dressed as grand causes such as sustainability, health, or authenticity. These are good causes. But the everyday power of
Category: Contemporary Food Culture
Why Food and Music Mobilize Communities
Some arts, such as painting, ask you to come to them; other arts come for you. Food and music are force vectors that pull bodies
Fast Food as a Theory of Society
Fast food isn’t just a style of cuisine; it’s a social theory with a drive-thru. The paper bag is a syllabus. Its core axioms—uniformity, calculability,
The Michelin Guide Will Review Wine?
Last week brought the curious announcement that the Michelin Guide plans to start reviewing wine. It’s not clear how this will work given that the
When the Useless is Bewitching: The Japanese Tea Ceremony
I’ve been going on about what I call the” production paradigm” for the last few weeks. We are often sucked into the view that everything
The World of the Italian Meal
The traditional Italian meal—the all-day affair with (at least) seven courses—has always fascinated me because it is not just a meal but a way of
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 