In this authoritative and immensely readable insider’s account, celebrated cookbook author and former chef Joyce Goldstein traces the development of California cuisine from its formative years in the 1970s to 2000, when farm-to-table, foraging, and fusion cooking had become part of the national vocabulary. Interviews with almost two hundred chefs, purveyors, artisans, winemakers, and food writers bring to life an approach to cooking grounded in passion, bold innovation, and a dedication to “flavor first.” Goldstein explains how the counterculture movement in the West gave rise to a restaurant culture characterized by open kitchens, women in leadership positions, and a surprising number of chefs and artisanal food producers who lacked formal training. The new cuisine challenged the conventional kitchen hierarchy and French dominance in fine dining, leading to a more egalitarian and informal food scene.
In weaving Goldstein’s views on California food culture with profiles of those who played a part in its development—from Alice Waters to Bill Niman to Wolfgang Puck—Inside the California Food Revolution demonstrates that, while fresh produce and locally sourced ingredients are iconic in California, what transforms these elements into a unique cuisine is a distinctly Western culture of openness, creativity, and collaboration. Engagingly written and full of captivating anecdotes, this book shows how the inspirations that emerged in California went on to transform the experience of eating throughout the United States and the world.
Joyce Goldstein was chef and owner of the groundbreaking restaurant Square One in San Francisco. She received the James Beard Award for Best Chef in California and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. She is the author of twenty-six cookbooks, and her writing appears in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sommelier Journal, Fine Cooking, and many other publications.
Dore Brown is Principal Editor at University of California Press.
"Joyce Goldstein is the foremost expert on the watershed moment in American cooking when little-known ingredients began to shine and chefs came out of the kitchen. The California revolution created the foundation for the food personalities and flavors that we see globally today. This book tells the story better than any other." –Mario Batali, chef and author of Molto Italiano
“Bravo! Joyce Goldstein’s authoritative and eminently entertaining work retires the field on all books attempting to define the California food movement that forever changed the course of how we eat in America. It’s a must-read for any cook, restaurateur, journalist, and restaurant-lover who is genuinely curious about how and where it all started.” –Danny Meyer, chef and author of Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
"Who is better suited than Joyce Goldstein to curate and catalogue the influence that California has had on how we eat and dine today? This engrossing book is a satisfying and engaging read." –David Kinch, chef and author of Manresa: An Edible Reflection
“A smart and succinct summary of those key decades in California that changed the way many Americans eat and view food. I'm so glad that Joyce Goldstein has put this special history together; she's the one to have done it.” –Deborah Madison, founding chef at Greens restaurant and author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
“Joyce Goldstein shows, in compelling, illuminating detail, that what we call California cuisine is simply California itself revealed: the land, the climate, a way of thinking and a way of living made manifest on a plate. Her research is thorough, her ear impeccable, and her storytelling enthralling. This is a glorious and – dare one say it – delicious book.” –Gerald Asher, former wine editor of Gourmet, and author of A Vineyard in my Glass and A Carafe of Red
“This book is a must read for anyone who cares about food and its ability to influence and inspire community building and change. A new generation now has a deeper understanding of how to take the movement even further, to push the limits of flavor, seasonality, locality, authenticity and freshness. Simply Delicious!” –Sam Mogannam, coauthor of Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food
"This is an impeccably detailed account of one of our country's most influential and enduring culinary developments. It provides insights into the California food movement that are enlightening even to some of us who lived and ate through it. One may disagree with some of the assessments, but this book is a valuable read toward understanding what went on and why, and how we continue to benefit from it." –Mimi Sheraton, author of The German Cookbook and Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life
360 pp.6 x 9Illus: 24 b/w photographs
9780520268197$34.95|£30.00Hardcover
Sep 2013