Feast and Folly: Cuisine, Intoxication, and the Poetics of the Sublime

Name: Feast and Folly: Cuisine, Intoxication, and the Poetics of the Sublime
Price: 26.95 USD
Availability: BackOrder
ISBN: 9780791455180

✍️ Weiss, Allen S

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$26.95

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📜

Food Writing & History

📚 EDITORIAL REVIEW

“This cerebral book suits culinary historians, advanced food theorists, and philosophy buffs who crave deep intellectual essays over quick kitchen formulas. Practical home cooks seeking weeknight dinner ideas or step-by-step baking guides will be deeply disappointed.

— Editorial Team

Author

Weiss, Allen S

📚 all books by this author (2) →

🏛 State University of New York Press 📅 2002 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780791455180

📝 Description: Feast and Folly: Cuisine, Intoxication, and the Poetics of the Sublime

Treats French cuisine as a "fine art," offering both historical background as well as a deep analysis of the social, political, and aesthetic aspects of cuisine and taste.

💎 Expert review

“

🍳

Eatbook Family editorial team

Cookbook desk

Allen S. Weiss approaches French cuisine with rigorous intellectual depth, elevating culinary commentary into the realm of fine art criticism. Placed in our food-history section, the book provides a thorough analysis of aesthetics and taste. However, because the publisher's provided material is notably sparse on specific narrative details, readers should note that this is a dense, theoretical text rather than a practical guide. It does NOT suit home cooks looking for actionable recipes, quick kitchen techniques, or light casual reading. For academics and dedicated food scholars, it stands as a valuable contribution, though casual readers will likely find its analytical focus overly demanding.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —

⭐ eatbookfamily.com editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

This cerebral book suits culinary historians, advanced food theorists, and philosophy buffs who crave deep intellectual essays over quick kitchen formulas. Practical home cooks seeking weeknight dinner ideas or step-by-step baking guides will be deeply disappointed.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Eatbook Family editorial team

Allen S. Weiss approaches French cuisine with rigorous intellectual depth, elevating culinary commentary into the realm of fine art criticism. Placed in our food-history section, the book provides a thorough analysis of aesthetics and taste. However, because the publisher's provided material is notably sparse on specific narrative details, readers should note that this is a dense, theoretical text rather than a practical guide. It does NOT suit home cooks looking for actionable recipes, quick kitchen techniques, or light casual reading. For academics and dedicated food scholars, it stands as a valuable contribution, though casual readers will likely find its analytical focus overly demanding.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, this is a theoretical and historical text exploring food culture rather than a traditional illustrated cookbook with kitchen recipes.

Because it focuses on the philosophy, history, and aesthetics of cuisine rather than cooking instructions, it does not feature ingredient measurements.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Emerging from the intersection of aesthetics and gastronomy, this work investigates French culinary traditions not merely as sustenance, but as an elevated fine art. It explores the profound social, political, and cultural frameworks that shape how we taste, consume, and conceptualize elite cuisine.