Arranging the Meal: A History of Table Service in France (Volume 19) (California Studies in Food and Culture)

The sequence in which food has been served at meals has changed greatly over the centuries and has also varied from one country to another, a fact noted in virtually every culinary history. Most food writers have treated the more significant alterations as stand-alone events. The most famous example of such a change occurred in the nineteenth century, when __service à la française__—in which the stunning presentation made a great show but diners had to wait to be served—gave way to __service à la russe,__ in which platters were passed among diners who served themselves. But in __Arranging the Meal,__ the late culinary historian Jean-Louis Flandrin argues that such a change in the order of food service is far from a distinct event. Instead he regards it as a historical phenomenon, one that happened in response to socioeconomic and cultural factors—another mutation in an ever-changing sequence of customs. As France's most illustrious culinary historian, Flandrin has become a cult figure in France, and this posthumous book is not only his final word but also a significant contribution to culinary scholarship. A foreword by Beatrice Fink places Flandrin's work in context and offers a personal remembrance of this French culinary hero.

The sequence in which food has been served at meals has changed greatly over the centuries and has also varied from one country to another, a fact noted in virtually every culinary history. Most food writers have treated the more significant alterations as stand-alone events. The most famous example of such a change occurred in the nineteenth century, when service à la française—in which the stunning presentation made a great show but diners had to wait to be served—gave way to service à la russe, in which platters were passed among diners who served themselves. But in Arranging the Meal, the late culinary historian Jean-Louis Flandrin argues that such a change in the order of food service is far from a distinct event.
Instead he regards it as a historical phenomenon, one that happened in response to socioeconomic and cultural factors—another mutation in an ever-changing sequence of customs. As France's most illustrious culinary historian, Flandrin has become a cult figure in France, and this posthumous book is not only his final word but also a significant contribution to culinary scholarship. A foreword by Beatrice Fink places Flandrin's work in context and offers a personal remembrance of this French culinary hero.

The sequence in which food has been served at meals has changed greatly over the centuries and has also varied from one country to another, a fact noted in virtually every culinary history. Most food writers have treated the more significant alterations as stand-alone events. The most famous example of such a change occurred in the nineteenth century, when service à la française —in which the stunning presentation made a great show but diners had to wait to be served—gave way to service à la russe, in which platters were passed among diners who served themselves. But in Arranging the Meal, the late culinary historian Jean-Louis Flandrin argues that such a change in the order of food service is far from a distinct event. Instead he regards it as a historical phenomenon, one that happened in response to socioeconomic and cultural factors—another mutation in an ever-changing sequence of customs. As France's most illustrious culinary historian, Flandrin has become a cult figure in France, and this posthumous book is not only his final word but also a significant contribution to culinary scholarship. A foreword by Beatrice Fink places Flandrin's work in context and offers a personal remembrance of this French culinary hero. CONTENTS 6 Plates 130 FOREWORD 8 FOREWORD TO THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EDITION: JEAN-LOUIS FLANDRIN’S WORLD ORDER 10 PREFACE 20 PART ONE: THE STRUCTURE OF MEALS IN THE CL ASSICAL AGE 22 1 Composition of the Classical Meal 24 2 Roasts 33 3 Entrées and Entremets 42 4 Composition of Meatless Meals 53 PART TWO: FOURTEENTH TO TWENTIETH CENTURIES: VARIATIONS IN THE SEQUENCE OF COURSES IN FRANCE 66 5 French Meals in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries 68 6 Sixteenth-Century Overview 78 7 Classical Order in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 93 8 Innovations from the Revolution to World War I 111 9 Hidden Changes in the Twentieth Century 127 PART THREE: OTHER COUNTRIES, OTHER SEQUENCES 144 10 English Menu Sequences 146 11 Polish Banquets in the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Centuries 153 POSTSCRIPT 162 APPENDIXES 166 A. Additional Material for Part Three 166 B. Dietetics and Meal Sequences 171 C.The Cuisine of the Renaissance 184 D. Additional Printed Sources 188 NOTES 194 WORKS CITED 230 INDEX 234 A 234 B 235 C 235 D 236 E 237 F 237 G 238 H 238 I 239 J 239 K 239 L 239 M 239 N 240 O 241 P 241 Q 241 R 241 S 242 T 243 V 244 W 244 "For this, his last book, which was published in France after his death in 2002, Jean-Louis Flandrin researched cookbooks, memoirs, travel literature, and journalistic essays to produce a chronological study of food-order etiquette. Taking as his primary focus the sequence and composition of banquet courses in France, Flandrin has created an important chronological study ranging from the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries and up to the present day. The book then explores French food order in different eras by comparing it with serving customs in other European countries, in particular England and Poland."--Jacket Composition of the classical meal Roasts Entrees and entremets Composition of meatless meals French meals in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries Sixteenth-century overview Classical order in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Innovations from the revolution to World War I Hidden changes in the twentieth century English menu sequences Polish banquets in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. The sequence in which food has been served at meals has changed over the centuries and has also varied from one country to another, a fact noted in every culinary history. This book regards it as a historical phenomenon, one that happened in response to socioeconomic and cultural factors - another mutation in an ever-changing sequence of customs.