I agree with so much here (I know and have worked with Marion many times, particularly when I was founding chair of the JBF Leadership Awards). I did have a small point on one point: "Would we care what a man liked to eat at home if he had written a book called Food Politics? I would, of course, but I doubt most would ask." Perhaps he'd be the exception that proves the rule, but I think Michael Pollan has been asked these questions. I do think that women and our domestic realities are often dismissed, and that men's domestic lives are presented as "imagine that -- and he COOKS too," with no recognition that men are allowed to cook for pleasure while women are expected to only cook for necessity. My generation of food-writing women had to waste so much of our energy not only learning the systems of power, but also threading the fine needle of expectation. We were either too young to have anything valuable to contribute or too old to have relevant experience. I kept waiting for that golden period between those two realities, but I must have blinked and missed it.
I just picked up this book last week and now I'm even more excited to read it. You've given me much to think about and look forward to before I even get to the first page -- thank you. PS - "the most heinous-looking gnocchi" line cracked me up because the batch my son and I made a few months ago would have taken that award, I'm sure! But you're right: it's always delicious.
I agree with so much here (I know and have worked with Marion many times, particularly when I was founding chair of the JBF Leadership Awards). I did have a small point on one point: "Would we care what a man liked to eat at home if he had written a book called Food Politics? I would, of course, but I doubt most would ask." Perhaps he'd be the exception that proves the rule, but I think Michael Pollan has been asked these questions. I do think that women and our domestic realities are often dismissed, and that men's domestic lives are presented as "imagine that -- and he COOKS too," with no recognition that men are allowed to cook for pleasure while women are expected to only cook for necessity. My generation of food-writing women had to waste so much of our energy not only learning the systems of power, but also threading the fine needle of expectation. We were either too young to have anything valuable to contribute or too old to have relevant experience. I kept waiting for that golden period between those two realities, but I must have blinked and missed it.
i didn't know there was a Masters of Gastronomy degree, but man Culinary tourism taught by you? I'd love to sneak in to that lecture.
I just picked up this book last week and now I'm even more excited to read it. You've given me much to think about and look forward to before I even get to the first page -- thank you. PS - "the most heinous-looking gnocchi" line cracked me up because the batch my son and I made a few months ago would have taken that award, I'm sure! But you're right: it's always delicious.