Arranging the Meal

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.

Foreword, by Georges CarantinoForeword to the English Language Edition: Jean-Louis Flandrin’s World Order, by Beatrice FinkPrefacePART ONE. THE STRUCTURE OF MEALS IN THE CLASSICAL AGE1. Composition of the Classical Meal2. Roasts3. Entrées and Entremets4. Composition of Meatless MealsPART TWO. FOURTEENTH TO TWENTIETH CENTURIES: VARIATIONS IN THE SEQUENCE OF COURSES IN FRANCE5. French Meals in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries6. Sixteenth-Century Overview7. Classical Order in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries8. Innovations from the Revolution to World War I9. Hidden Changes in the Twentieth CenturyPART THREE. OTHER COUNTRIES, OTHER SEQUENCES10. English Menu Sequences11. Polish Banquets in the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth CenturiesPostscriptAppendixesA. Additional Material for Part ThreeB. Dietetics and Meal SequencesC. The Cuisine of the RenaissanceD. Additional Printed SourcesNotesBibliographyIndex